samarablackcat

Updates posted. Included Sunbird and Vampire Tarot's initial release, The Fool, but have not yet added any of the WKAP scents. I'll wait for an official scent list for those.

Yay! and thanks!

While rummaging through my imps, looking for something to add to a package I am sending out, I stumbled across Detox. Perfect timing, as I have recently taken myself off antidepressants.

Citrus! Oh yes, and it's not the Pledge type. Off to a good start. Not much in the imp to test, but enough to get several drops on each wrist. Immediately calms my stomach...which in and of itself is a blessing, as nausea has been my constant companion for the last two weeks.

I concur, it doesn't last long, but as it dries the lime is apparent with a little sweetness to offset the tart. Each time I feel the nausea creeping back, I huff my wrists, and my stomach is very thankful. This is the most normal ( ) I have felt in two weeks. I am also feeling very calm, almost sleepy. Oh, how I wish I would have thought about this sooner; I am very glad nonetheless to have found Detox at this time. I can imagine it being effective on hangovers and general malaise as well. The sweetness here is in the same family as TKO (sugary vanilla), but not as cloying.

In the future, I will remember to reach for Detox. A bottle will accompany my next order and travel with me at all times. I can see this becoming a staple for me at work, and I can also envision enabling many people. How does she do it? All hail the goddess Beth and her miracle elixirs! I wish I would have had this for my friend while she was going through chemo; I imagine it would really help through those times.

I am ashamed that I haven't reviewed this yet...

I first smelled this in the bottle at Dirty South Will Call back in February. No skin test, but the scent haunted me.

Ordered as soon as I got back home. And since then, this is my go-to scent when I'm not sure what to wear.

Wet, plum and deep, heady wine. Yum. The champaca, so incensey and rich melds together with the sandalwood, emitting an aura of headshoppy goodness, grounding the scent. Not too sweet and not too dry, it surrounds me with a scent of power. Its calming aroma takes me to a place where I am in charge, its quiet strength propelling me forward and upward, compelling those around me to take notice. This is my

scent. I am calm, serene and ready to take on the world.

Perhaps it's the lack of many ingredients that makes this so successful on my skin, or just the perfect combination. A total winner in my book, and one that I am hoping will age with grace, as a reminder to myself to do the same.

Throw is strong and lasts for hours. No need to carry an imp or bottle to refresh later. Yes, Makhanitis, it appears you were made for me.

I've been tempted to order a bottle from the snake pit, but can probably afford only one...

The ones that tempt me are:

Australian Copperhead - for the acai berry, I like tart scents.

Boomslang - aside from the HP reference, I just like chocolaty scents, when they aren't sickly sweet.

Cottonmouth - it just sounds nice, I like florals and besides, cottonmouth are gorgeous snakes.

King Cobra - I like frankinsence, usually at least... besides, King Cobra is kind of the queen of snakes.

 

Boomslang and King Cobra seem to seduce me more than the rest, but still, I'm not sure...

I'm afraid of something cloying sweet or that will give me a headache...

 

Any recs?

I don't like chocolate scents at all; Boomslang is wonderful. It's a very rounded scent, IMO. Not too sweet nor chocolate, not too much like Snake Oil.

The linden flower in Cottonmouth is sweet, but not cloying (to me); dry, it mellows into a nice incensey floral. Again, the Snake Oil tempers it so it's not in your face.

King Cobra and Temple Viper were my first loves from the Snake Pit. I still love them both in all their incensey goodness. But what surprised me the most was

Habu. Cannot have too many bottles of this. Scent locket, skin, slathered on pillow, makes no difference. I'm not sure if it's the teak that draws me close, but this is the underrated star of the Pit. Just beautiful.

Western Diamondback for me did not amp leather; it dried nicely, but not whoa! I gotta have more for me.

Coral Snake has been flirting with me lately...I have grown fond of apple. Maybe a decant before I make the final decision for bottles.

I think if these had been the first of bpal's scents I tried, I never would have left the Snake Pit.

Green Tree Viper is interesting...the mint isn't too prominent and it smells nothing like what I thought. I have a decant that I'll sniff periodically and it is always refreshing...good for summer when it's hot and sticky.

One more Temple Viper and King Cobra, and maybe the Coral Snake, and I think I will be set!

In the imp, this smells very much like cherries (or almond, as I tend to confuse the two).

Wet, the cherry/almond scent is predominant. As it dries, there is a spiciness underneath. Fresh juicy fruit is making its way to the forefront. Definitely cherries now. But lo! it is changing into plum with a tad of nag champa or champaca flower.

Dry, the plum is but an afterthought, as the incense aroma wafts as from an altar. A scent that changes from sweet to sharp, much like its namesake. I can smell just a drop of pregnant skies, ready to explode with winds, rain and thunder.

A grand interpretation of all her aspects. As Shango/Chango's favorite wife, I am left wondering how these two will work together.

A new favorite scent for me.

I also love love love Prospero but it is mostly wine and incense on me, but if you can hunt down an imp to try, it could be worth it (Try mixing it with Blood Garden, yummy). And how could I forget Midwinter's Eve?

I reread my review (those are really helpful!) of Prunella and to answer your question, Jupita, starts out tart and goes to a tad sweet.

Oh, me too! For me, the affair started with Prunella...and I have been adding plummy scents since. My current ( currant, lol!) favs are:

Dionysia

Oya ( omg, how did I not find this sooner?)

Makhanitis (review from Pottersville, and I concur):

Black plum, burgundy wine, sandalwood, and champaca.

Yup, this is definitely a scent where you begin the description with ... "this reminds me of ....". Makhanitis is a lovely scent. Rich, dry, and heady. She reminds me of a drier Bordello and a less complex Mdm Moriarty, and Prunella is her kinder, gentler cousin

Love this. Like 4 bottles worth.

On my to try list:

Bathsheba

Kitsune-Tsuki

Horror Sympathique

I do care for incensey and earthy scents, so ymmv. But try Prunella.

Ah dirt. Freshly dug dirt, to be specific.

Wet on the skin, still Beth's awesome dirt, but with something fragile underneath. As it dries, this becomes more loamy, mixing with the decaying flowers of the grave.

Dry, this becomes nothing like its beginning. Just a residual dustiness, as if the dirt has transformed into...something sweet. Amber? Yes, that's it, amber. Just a little powdery, as if the bones and angel's trumpet have melded into a wonderful, soft amber. Stays close to the skin.

A beautiful transformation and a wonderful representation of death as a door to another realm. If you have been afraid of dirt scents, get an imp. You may be pleasantly surprised.

LXIX (69 )

Apples! Very fruity in the bottle.

Wet on skin: yup, apples, like a Rome or Jonathon, good for cooking, not too sharp.

As it dries, there is a little citrus (orange? lemon?) rounding out the scent.

Dry, no Snake Oil to be found. Just gently spiced apples.

CVI (106)

Clean and fresh, not ozony.

Wet, reminds me a little of Dorian, so vanilla. Something in here reminds me of cotton, not sure why.

Dry, I only get the vanilla-y cotton.

I'm a guy, and though I only have a few BPAL scents, I do wear O and Water of Notre Dame from time to time. I get a lot of compliments, particularly with Water of Notre Dame. Once in a while I'll throw on Neo-Tokyo.

 

The only ones I've smelled that I would absolutely NOT wear are Cockaigne (dear lord it's so sweeeet!) and Grand Guignol, but I've smelled very few, so as I continue my BPAL education, no doubt this list will expand.

 

My next batch of imps will be Antony, Oberon, Robin Goodfellow, Cthulhu, and Haunted. They all sound spectacular.

Try Casanova, Tombstone, Coyote, The Lion (if you like amber), Ferris Wolf and any of the piratey scents...aquatic, but yum (Calico Jack, I'm looking at you!).

Crowley is very masculine, but unimpable. YMMV.

I like the more masculine scents...not too fond of florals. If you can score an imp or bottle of Schwarzer Mond, it is teh love.

Tramp, you must keep busy doin' the whole lab!

Love the new labels for the GC!

Thanks for posting all the pics, Tramp!

In the bottle:

Warm, glowing, creamy, the color of fine ivory silk. Similar to the color of the label, but with less green.

Wet:

Sweet, like the aroma of making sugar cookies...sugar cane, honey and vanilla flower melding together, the skin musk, honey and beeswax keeping it grounded, with copal ever-so-slightly raising its head.

Dry: The copal is most predominate on me as it dries. Copal lovers, like me, rejoice! for the warmth of the copal will warm you when the nights are cold. The honey and beeswax are subtle; they help to keep this grounded. Earthy (not like dirt. Sensual). The scent is sweet, but not cloying. It wants to stay close, but not so close it goes unannounced. Gently wafting, surrounding my space with gentle nudges of desire.

This scent makes me imagine lying in a large, feather bed, with sheets of the finest Egyptian cotton, natural in color, so smooth on my skin. Resins burning, filling my space with their smoke. Candles burning low, creating soft amber light. Soft, silky and with the promise of secrets not yet spoken.

I believe this will age beautifully. If you were hoping for Glowing Vulva Redux, this is not that scent. But it is a glorious, sultry and sensual scent on its own. So glad I purchased a bottle, and will be adding at least one more to my collection.

I confess...I bought this when it was released because of the story. I like the notes, too, but it was the story that drew me to this. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Russian fairy tales, and a happy ending to boot.

So lovely when I first received this, but I was disappointed as the scent was so faint and close to the skin. I had been hoping for a little more throw. So soft, so snuggly. And then, a year of aging.

All I can say is wow. This has blossomed into what I was hoping for. Still soft and snuggly, but with a warmth that is perfect for a cold winter's day. I am transformed to a place in the forest, an Indian summer day, leaning against a tree, watching the leaves fall from the trees, their brilliant colors transforming the ground into a regal carpet for the Lord of the Forest. A place of respite for collecting one's thought and appreciating the wonders of the natural world.

I have all three years of Jacob's Ladder. '08 is not a disappointment.

I love amber and it is one resin that plays well on me. To my nose, this is almost identical to my aged '05, just a little dustier. All the components are there, and with aging, this will become a little sweeter and heavier. Jacob's Ladder always get me compliments when I wear it, even from gruff, inky pressmen. Its aura envelopes my personal space and leaves me at peace. If this is the path to Heaven, I will surely and graciously climb to meet whatever God resides at the end.

Any recs for any GC scent that is similar to The Illustrated Woman ... minus the pine note?

O is almost identical to the Illustrated Woman, on me (minus the screaming candied pine death).

On me, Antikythera Mechanism is very similar to Illustrated Woman, sans pine pitch.

Thank you, persianmouse! Those labels are just what I was hoping for!

I had such high hope for this one!

It sounded perfect for me; I adore mosses and sandalwood and I am learning to appreciate the lab's patchouli. But something goes terribly awry on my skin.

This starts out soft on my skin, but withing minutes turns to man's cologne. A sweet, tinny fragrance . So much so that I looked up other descriptions to see if this had somehow been mislabeled. But alas, it is just my skin. Although I prefer masculine scents, this is not the one for me. Perhaps in another incarnation, this will be perfect for me. Reminds me slightly of The Torure Queen, that type of metal smell. Ah, well, they can't all be the one!

Oh wow, this has got to be one of my favorite pines. Like taking a walk through the woods,a gentle snow falling, sticking to everything giving it an ethereal feel. In the distance, someone has recently cut a pine tree, and the resinous aroma wafts through the still air. It reminds me of Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost (hehe)

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

And oh, btw, I think this will pair perfectly with the rerelease of Ice Prince. I am so glad to have tried this, and it is great for me, living in the land of no snow, only having memories of this type of weather,which I sorely miss. Many thanks for awakening my mind of home and the holidays, warm memories of family and love.

I was frimped with Prunella from the fabulous Maidenhell. I would not have normally tested this, as I am not a fan of plum in any fashion.

In the imp, it smells green...fresh, not-to-sweet wildflower scent wafting from a field by a gentle wind.

Wet, creaminess mixes with a tart, refreshing, soft aroma. As it dries, the cream smell dissapates, leaving behind a fruity smell, not quite ripened.

As it dries, the scents meld together so well it's hard to discern one from the others. A scent of early summer, with bees buzzing, flowers nodding their heads in the breeze and flowers kissed with dew in the morning, before the heat of the day sets in and the world becomes enclouded in haze. As the scent wafts around me, I feel peaceful and serene.

Yep, bottle for me, the plum hater.

Yes, yes, I second Graveyard Dirt! I think it's one of the best dirt smells evah. However, here are a couple other suggestions ( and one is hard to find!)

Ace of Pentacles (smells like earth just dampened by the first drops of rain)

Nocnitsa (Also known as Krisky, Plaksy and Gorska Makua, she is a nightmare spirit, the Night Hag of the Woods, who haunts Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovak children during the darkest hours. The only protection against her torments is a circle drawn around a child’s cradle with a knife, or an axe or protective poppet hidden under the floorboards beneath where a child sleeps. Her scent is that of a lightless fir wood, nighttime air, wet forest mosses and upturned earth)

HTH!

eta:

I haz teh dumb

I can haz spell cheque?

Oh, how could I forget Chrysanthemum Moon? I do apologize!

Get at least an imp...

*runs off to see how Crawdad Dream and Lunar Eclipse are aging*

Mme. Moriarty and Marianne from the Carnaval, yep, second, third and fourth that!

If you can find Smut on the sales or swaps, red musk love

Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.

It's a Lupercalia (Valentine's ) , so if you can't find it, not to worry! Hopefully it will be back in January!

Krampus, too, from the Yules.

Good luck and enjoy your finds!

LXXVIII (78)

In the bottle: Fresh and bright with a feel of citrus. Lime maybe? pink grapefruit?

Wet: Pink grapefruit and lime, with maybe a splash of vodka. Like a Tiki that didn't quite make it. Or maybe mango or something tropical? Something just a tad spicy underneath...a little ginger?

As it dries, it fades quickly on me, but on my coworker, it stays longer. She says something waxy in the mix, underneath. I am not very good at picking out notes, and it seems this was made just for me, as I feel I can indentify each one! A great summer scent, so refreshing...would make a great cocktail, too!

He would, to me, smell like Lucifer. Dark and darker.

I did not purchase this when it was available. The notes did not sound as if they were for me, particularly the wine. That said..

I got a sniffie in a swap or purchase (don't remember which) and fell in love. So I tracked down a bottle and found one of my now favorites.

Warm and creamy in the bottle, with a feral note ( musk? I'm guessing). On, it transforms into a soft, creamy goodness, the scent wafting around me like a warm and fuzzy blanket. I don't really get the wine; perhaps that the spiciness peeking its head around. One of my coworkers always says that I smell like her vanilla bathroon plug-in. I don't smell vanilla, but it has a sweetness to it. And on me, this lasts all day. I can still smell it when I come home and as I'm falling asleep. It has definitely aged extremely well.

Lesson learned: Always buy feral notes. They work fabulously on me! Autumn is my favorite time of year and I am eagerly awaiting this year's bounty. And if you don't want your bottle, PM me!