helarctos

What about BPAL imps in carry-on luggage? I want to bring my collection to share with my sister when I visit her in a few weeks, but I don't want to get pegged as a security risk with my assortment of mysterious vials. Anyone with experience taking BPAL through the airport? I only travel with a carry-on because I fly standby, so checked luggage is not a possible solution.

Tezcatlipoca is definitely a *power* scent. It's like Centzon Totochtin without the wine/foodiness, or Greed without the sweetness. It has an exquisite resinous drydown.

For me this starts out as overpoweringly sweet -- the syrup from a can of peaches or pears. There's a bitter undertone -- the vetiver? -- that comes out on the skin, and tempers the sweetness. It adds a complexity but doesn't work well on me.

Inferno smells of maraschino cherries and meerschaum smoke. Gorgeous, though not something I'd wear as a personal scent.

Manila smells like candy! Pineapple and banana candy. Yum. In the drydown, a scent like tobacco emerges -- is this the banana leaf? -- and complexifies the fruity aroma, but doesn't quash its sweetness. I'm not a foody-scent person but I really love Manila and I think I'll try it in an oil burner. What I really wish is that I could get this scent in a soap or shower gel. Maybe it's time to experiment with BPAL and unscented stuff...

The closest scent to which I can liken the Uranus blend is that of the powdery residue that Dentyne cinnamon-flavored gum leaves on its wrapper.

Peace definitely smells of fir.

I really did not enjoy the scent of Catalyst. The notes I took read "unpleasant earthy herbs." It is possible I have some sort of allergy to something in it, though, as I had a headache afterward. So other people may find it more congenial than I did. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Temple: Greek smells of cloves, olives (?), and a peppery spice I can't quite identify. Very evocative. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

The scent of TAL Oshun to me is heady, sweet, somewhat fruity. And really beautiful. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Helping Hand smells of sugared mint. It reminds me of a sweet mint tea, something soothing and refreshing at the same time. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

To me, Bastet's Laughter smells of "tropical punch"-flavored Kool-Aid. I agree that it smells similar to Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, which I have down in my spreadsheet as having reminded me of Hawaiian Punch. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Eleggua is PEPPERMINT! (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Aunt Caroline's Money Bag smells like a fragrant orange pomander, well-seasoned and freshly prepared. It's very sweet. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Temple Daoist smells to me very grounding and grounded, a bouquet of wood and earth. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Interesting ... to me Lionheart smells of baby powder! (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

I found Mantle of Venus to smell like an uncanny combination of faint herbs and a sickly lipgloss aroma. It could be that the latter was the clove component that many people have reported, but it did not click with me as a "clove" smell. (Disclaimer: This review was written in a circular swap, so I did not use the oil for ritual purposes. I can only report here on its scent. I believe this is valuable information so people know if they will find the oil physically/aesthetically uncomfortable when they use it for its intended purpose, BUT I do not believe TAL oils should be used as simple perfume. )

Whoa. Dee smells like .... a man. A really yummy man. Leather and spices. I always pictured the alchemist Dr. John Dee as a venerable old man. Now I'm wondering what he looked like when he was younger. Anyone dressing like Jonathan Strange for Halloween? You so have to wear this scent.

In the bottle, Freak Show is like chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. On me, it turns into black forest cake

Deep, luscious green and berry scents that evoke images of woodland witchcraft and the raw power of nature: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. In the vial, this smells strongly of tea, with an undercurrent of fresh green herbs. On the skin, the berry notes burgeon, drowning out the tea, or perhaps morphing it into a fruit tea rather than a green tea. It's a lovely foody/herbal scent.

Straight out of the imp, this has a lovely joyous fruity-gum scent. On the skin, it develops into something spicier. Indeed, the spices in it made my skin a little itchy and irritated. In the drydown, the scent retains its fruity note but deepened by the spices it turns oddly powdery.

A bright translucent red in the vial, this blend is spicy and sweet. It does seem akin to dragon's blood. The floral note turns plasticky on my skin in the drydown.

Zorya on me is the quintessential floral. It's a very dreamlike fragrance, and perfect for the mythological role of the Zorya. The jasmine makes it a bit too sweet for my personal taste -- but jasmine usually doesn't work well on me; others may really love it.

On me, Vechernyaya is smoky and earthy. My skin chemistry seems to bring out the patchouli, drowning out the musks. The poppy lends it what I think is the "perfumey" quality that other reviewers have mentioned, a heady note above the deep patchouli. It's not a scent that really suits me, but I'm glad I got to try it.

My bottle: LXXXIV (84). It's a complex wonder, and I am having a hard time identifying notes. It smells to me somewhat like coconut.