tinyvulture

I’ve always hoped the lab would come out with a ‘haunted house’ scent, and I think this might be it. If you are familiar with Dark Candles’ haunted house scent, this is kind of similar, to my nose anyway. Woods, resins, something musty and earthy. It really captures the dry, peculiar scent of an abandoned old space. Picture pushing open the creaking door and stepping into pitch black. Did you just hear something scurrying across the floor? Where is that breeze coming from? What this scent makes me think of, more than any other BPAL scent, is total darkness… not knowing what’s two feet in front of you…feeling your way along, wondering if the warped wooden floors will give way at any moment…pushing cobwebs out of your face…is that a ghost…or just some ancient furniture covered with dusty cloths…who knows? OK, I’ll stop now. I love this scent so much.

I love the lab’s leather scents. They just smell so sexy on my husband. I’ve been searching for Dead Man’s Hand decants, but I think my search is over because I like this one even better. It’s totally a ‘cowboy’ scent – dry dusty leather. But it’s sweetened just a little by the addition of juicy pear and vanilla -- so I can wear it too! It’s just amazing, what more can I say?

I get the same soft incense notes that are in Midnight Mass, blended with buttery cake. I actually prefer it to Midnight Mass because the cake adds such sweetness and is a wonderful complement to the powdery incense. The solemn, mournful incense and the happy, comforting smell of cake is a beautiful combination.

For me, fall is synonymous with trips to the cider mill for fresh pressed cider and donuts. The moment you step inside the mill, the apple cider scent is overwhelming. Punkie Night captures that experience in a bottle. Crisp, juicy, tart apples and nothing else. Strong and long-lasting. It’s wonderful -- the autumn scent I'd always hoped for.

A surprisingly fruity scent. Pineapple, peach and grapes maybe? There are also some soft spices, but nothing that screams ‘frankincense’ or any of the other notes that are listed! So I’m a bit confused. But if I ignore the description and my expectations, and judge the scent for what it is, I do like it. Spicy fruit. Not bad.

I’ve never smelled such a strong tonka note. It’s almost cloyingly sweet on my skin. I’m not smelling anything that makes me think ‘Mediterranean incense’, and the clove is very faint. Mostly, it’s tonka combined with violet to make a very sweet, foody floral. I do like the violet, very pretty. After a few minutes it smells less foody, more creamy. Still extremely sweet. A nice, girly perfume, but not quite right for me.

The saffron is the ingredient that really stands out on my skin. I thought this scent would be somewhat strong and masculine, but it’s actually quite soft and sweet and comforting. Gentle woods and spices…not really noticing the patchouli. It sort of reminds me of a spicier Morocco. What else can I say – all of the notes in this scent are ones that I love. I wish it were a bit stronger, that’s the only thing that might keep me from ordering a bottle.

The unmistakable smell of gin (juniper berries). Crisp and sweet. I’ve never had a martini, but this actually makes me think of drinking a gin & 7-up because it has a slight citrus note to it. I would describe it as effervescent and refreshing, a good pick-me-up scent.

florals (jasmine?) and herbs. the incense, earth and moss are not making their presence felt very much at all. i’m generally not a big fan of floral and herbal scents, so i just feel kind of “meh” about this. i do like jasmine sometimes, but here it goes all soapy. my husband, however, finds it really sexy, so maybe my nose is wonky today.

this smells sexy on my husband -- a mixture of earthy patchouli, and dirt. it's a bit too strong on me. my skin amps up the juniper. and while i adore juniper in scents like Black Forest, it turns sour here when combined with the floral and dirt notes. if i just tab on the tiniest bit, it's ok, but there's really no reason to waste it on me when it smells so good on my dude.

From now on, I’m going to buy a bottle of any BPAL scent containing chocolate. They are all so well done. I love that they start out foody, as the pure chocolate is most dominant. But then the other elements come in, and it’s no longer foody. The chocolate becomes part of the blend, of the perfume. That’s how 13 is. First it’s all chocolate. And oranges. But not fresh, juicy citrus. More like those chocolate oranges that come wrapped in orange foil… chocolate flavored with orange liqueur. But then light, pretty florals come in, and the foodiness disappears. Now it’s a lovely, complex perfume with chocolate as one of its many components.

to me, this smells like jasmine and nag champa incense, warmed by musk. i can’t pinpoint the saffron. incense scents are always winners with me and this is no exception. it’s feminine, sexy, and exotic. it also reminds me of Smut, only less sweet and not quite as strong.

woodsy and spicy. deep sandalwood (pencil shavings!) and cedar at first, and then the umistakable scent of sweet frankincense creeps in and takes over. very dry and slightly smoky. seems like something a wise and powerful old man would wear. one who is still physically strong, just getting on in years. there’s something aged and familiar about it, like a cedar chest in the attic filled with mysterious old artifacts.

green herbs and grasses, with tart red berries. vaguely waxy, like a berry-scented candle. very clean and outdoorsy, like a shampoo, when first applied. sweetens up after it dries.

i expected this to be darker and more incense-y, but i mostly get spicy florals with a touch of citrus. no patchouli or vetiver to be found. also, it’s pretty faint. i wanted something more sultry and heavy. i’ll probably use this as a room scent, because it is pretty.

not having read the scent description, i smelled pear, vanilla with a touch of coconut, and light florals. i guess the vanilla is from the tonka, and i’m not sure where the fruitiness comes from. to me, this scent does not seem somber or dark; it seems like a light, fresh, summery floral. pretty.

i was surprised at how cheerful this scent is. it smells of sweet booze, citrus fruit, lush flowers, and dirt. the way the dirt is mingled with sweet perfume so that it becomes something beautiful reminds me of Penny Dreadful. in comparison, however, Jazz Funeral is a more complex scent due to the addition of the bold florals. i normally don’t like happy floral scents, but this one is just right.

soapy lavender. this is a very weak scent on me. i really had to slather it on, and what I got was soapy lavender. clean and calm, a good bedtime scent perhaps, but i’m really surprised at how subdued it is. the other reviewers seem to get a lot more out of it, so maybe it’s just having an odd interaction with my skin. oh well, off to swaps.

This is the first TAL I’ve had the pleasure to try. I see that they are not meant to be applied in the usual way as a perfume. That’s good, because the scent that comes to mind when I smell this is… dill pickles! Very sour. Then it turns into a mixture of something metallic and maybe some kind of Indian or Ethiopian spice that I can’t put my finger on. I read a quick explanation of chakras and it seemed my solar plexus was the one giving me trouble re: shyness in social situations, so I dabbed some BB on my tummy before going out to what I knew would be an awkward social occasion. I'm not well-studied in this stuff at all, but I do consider myself open-minded. So this is what happened: it felt like I immediately stood up straighter, had a larger ‘presence’ if you will. I felt optimistic rather than a bundle of nerves (as I tend to be in these kind of situations). Over the course of the evening I was quiet (as usual) but at least I didn’t feel self-conscious. It’s like I was taking in my surroundings with a relaxed eye rather than worrying about how I came across to anybody. My husband didn’t comment on me acting particularly different. I think it was more of an inner thing. I’ll try this again and be curious to see if there are noticeable effects.

When my husband wears this, I keep saying, “you just smell so rugged!” A truly masculine scent, not a typical men's cologne. The leather and fir are most prominent. The musk and amber are what makes it deep and warm and balance well with the sharpness of the fir. The cedar smoke comes out after drydown. Woodsy and outdoorsy, perfect for autumn. I love the lab’s leather concoctions and this one is the best yet, in my opinion.

Chocolate. Not the milk chocolate of Bliss. This is a dark chocolate, sweetened with creamy vanilla (not like vanilla extract...like the vanilla cream center of a fine chocolate). After it dries, it goes a little bit banana. Chocolate-covered bananas are certainly carnival fare, but not what I was expecting from this scent. That phase doesn’t last long, though. It once again morphs into dark cocoa and cream, slightly nutty, very rich. Long-lasting and addictive.

Creamy almond. Heavenly, rich, creamy almond. It’s a perfect balance -- mouth-watering foodiness, but also a sophisticated masculine scent (but not overly masculine – it smells great on my man but I love wearing it, too). I can’t wear most almond scents because they go bitter on me, so I’m thrilled to find one that suits my skin. As it dries, I can smell the pine, which adds a lovely complexity. I have been slathering this one and will probably need another bottle before the Carnaval departs.

when i first applied this, i thought there was lotus in it because it has that strong fruity, kool-aid scent. as it dried, the scent sharpened and i realized it was apricot. very juicy and sweet! the white musk and orange blossom add to the warmth, sweetness and fruitiness of this scent. it is pleasant, but not for me – i prefer the darker notes of Depraved.

from the start, the neroli is most dominant on my skin, and as i don’t care for its citrus scent, i will most likely be swapping this one. it’s also got a green/herbal thing going on. i can’t pick out the patchouli or amber like i was hoping for.

like its name suggests, this is sweet, innocent, youthful, and feminine. the white tea, carnation, and fresh dewy rose are all very “pure” notes -- by that i mean i can easily pick them out individually. it starts out kind of gentle and faint, but grows stronger as it dries. i’ve been scrubbing tiles all morning in grungy clothes, and after a shower this will be the perfect scent to make me feel refreshed, clean and pretty.