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donnatron

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Everything posted by donnatron

  1. donnatron

    Bat of Good Death

    Bottle: Strong hyssop with a light chamomile and orris quality. Light coconut. I was all weirded out by the strong cedar-y scent because I somehow missed that one in the scent list. I'd assume I'm smelling frankincense--but it's a stronger, more lemon-y frankincense like the one in Cathedral. Wet: Man... hyssop. It's always strong on me and it's always kind of dusty and the dustiness is amped by the orris root. It's got a pretty blah drydown. Kind of tart and borderline citrus with a dusty coconut feel. Dry: This winds up being a soft, warm coconut skin scent with a very clean resin from the frankincense. It smells like some platonic idea of an antiques shop. The orris and chamomile smell like dusty dried bouquets. There's soft, dusty woods from the cedar, frankincense and coconut. The whole thing feels very retro and slightly sun-touched. I've never actually been in an antiques store that smells good but there's a first time for everything. Throw: Very, very mild. Overall: It's quiet and centred and very calm and reserved. It conjures up a sort of half remembered memory of late afternoon summer sunlight coming through the windows on dark wood with dust particles floating in the air. It's actually so effective I can't really discern if this is a real memory or just something that kind of filters in with the general feel of the scent. It's quite beautiful and very subtle. I think it will be the sort of scent I'll wear on lazy weekends in the winter when I'm feeling like a shut in.
  2. donnatron

    A Farewell to False Love

    Imp: Yeah. Lavender. Balsam of Peru is sort of like... not vanilla, but tonka. A mild, sweet, kind of milky resin. A little... bit of that sour milk smell, as well. Odd. Wet: W... T... F...???? Burning rubber. Lavender and burning rubber. Mouse pad foam to be exact. Super weird. Dry: It's the narcissus. It used to work. It doesn't anymore. I smell like mouse pads, a little lavender and some Balsam of Peru warmness. The violet is so delicate that it's utterly lost under the BURNING MOUSE PAD SMELL!!! Throw: Of course it's strong. When has burning mouse pads ever said "dainty"? Overall: Clearly this is an issue with my skin chemistry because I refuse to believe that there are a subset of people in the world who want to smell like burning rubber.
  3. donnatron

    Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues

    Serpentine green herbs, glistening red currant, sparkling yellow lemon rind, green musk, lime, and snakeskin. Imp: All right. I ganked this from the lovely eyeska at a meet and sniff ages ago. Like, three or four MnSs ago. I've been sniffing it ever since and been completely incapable of wrapping my head around it. So I sniff it in the imp this time and I'm like, "You know what? I'm good. I'm gonna review this bad boy. THE TIME IS NIGH!!" It smells like citrus and a light currant. And alligator leather. My grandmother had an alligator purse stashed at the back of her closet and it reminds me of that particular, distinctive scent (smells like chicken!... No it doesn't). Messed. Wet: The currants come to the forefront and this is a pretty simple otherworldly green musk/berry scent. It smells like 51 but with an earthier quality. The lime is more dominant than the lemon which I think is a little bit sweeter in tone and is blending into the berry. It's a pretty bright and high pitched scent. Dry: That alligator leather scent is back. That's okay, though. I like leather and this is a really interesting leather because it's not actually leather. It's snakeskin. I live in rattler country so in the interest of self-preservation I have no freakin' clue what snakeskin smells like. But there is a dark, semi-animalistic, leather-esque scent here that melds perfectly with the brighter, more sparkling oils. It dries down to a pleasant berry/herbal (thyme? Lemon verbena?) touched with citrus. And then there's that crazy, leathery drydown scent. It works so well but it's so freakin' nuts. Throw: Pretty good, actually. Overall: I have been smelling this for the better part of a year and still don't really have words for it. It's totally awesome and a little messed up and I kind of dig it. If I had to describe it within the BPAL oeuvre, I'd have to describe it as "51 if Area 51 was in the Florida Everglades." Y/N? Just try it. This is a wacky scent.
  4. donnatron

    Veritas

    Imp: Thick and syrupy with a tiny hint of green sap. The frankincense reminds me more of the thickness of myrrh rather than the usual dryness I get from frankincense. The heliotrope and angelica are the strongest notes after the frankincense. Wet: I didn't have the notes on hand when I sniffed this and I would have sworn it was myrrh. It has the thick. syrup-like quality I can't quite put a finger on. It's not cool. I wish this was the drier version of frankincense because this is a very... thick[/b] scent. Dry: Fekkin' angelica has taken over and it smells like a health food store's bulk section. There is a really oppressive sweetness to this that I think is coming from the chamomile but is not doing this scent any favours. It's really heavy on me and not working with my chemistry at all. Throw: Moderate. Overall: Not my style. I can see, component-wise, how it works with the concept and I appreciate the intent behind it but it just does not work with my skin chemistry at all.
  5. It's been a while since I sniffed Haloes but it reminds me of a lighter, fruiter version of The Antikythera Mechanism (Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco). You could try layering it with something like March Hare (Apricot and clove) to get that fruitiness from Haloes. Morocco (The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia) is also similar in feel although less lush than Haloes and without the depth from the darker woods. The Snow Maiden is a chilly sort of spring floral scent and the best approximation I can think of in the GC is The Owens' Tomb (Marble and dust surrounded by burdock, knotweed, dandelions, daffodils, and long-dead calla lilies). You might want to hunt down a decant or partial bottle of this as it's part of the Neil Gaiman line and is not available in imp form from the lab so you're going to be gambling on a full bottle. You could also try Utrennyaya (Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood). It shares the osmanthus note with Snow Maiden and the mint adds a beautiful chilly note. It's also impable which is always a bonus.
  6. Morocco is incredibly similar to Antique Lace. It's a bit woodier and lacks that light floral punch Antique Lace had but layering Morocco with the lightest touch of Nocturne would probably be a suitable dupe for Antique Lace. Vasilissa and Mlle. Lilith are very similar on my skin. I think it's the pink musk popping. Both are light, girlish, slightly foody musky florals. Mlle is a little more dusky whereas the myrrh in Vasilissa is brighter than the incense in Mlle.
  7. donnatron

    Black Rose

    Bottle: Strong, strong rose with a buttery background. Amber but a lighter amber than I find in Haunted or the Lion. Wet: Strong, soapy rose petals. It smells more like dried rose than fresh rose. This is a very, very mature scent. Dry: The musk is a darker musk. Maybe not true black musk but it's also not red musk or a lighter, crisper musk. Also not a civet-esque musk. Somewhere between an Indian and a black musk. The rose is the strongest note. It's very strong and velvety and brings to mind red roses in a vase. There is a very tiny green note to this--the stem. The amber is there but it's just kind of chillin' in the background happy to add a base note but not freaky or anything. Throw: Strong. Overall: It took this bottle a hella long time to grow on me. In fact, I bought it unsniffed when I first got into BPAL because it was rose and I LOVE rose. Then I was meh on it because it seemed way too old for me. Then I gave it to a friend who loves rose even more than I do. THEN she gave it back to me because she thought it was too matronly and this is a girl who prides herself on being matronly. Then it kind of sat in my swap box for awhile and I forgot to put it on my swaps page. Then I tried it today and wound up slathering it on (as much as one can slather a scent as strong as this one). It is something that an older woman could easily wear but to me it's a scent that is both severe and elegant. It takes no prisoners. I smell like a wicked queen and that is kind of awesome.
  8. donnatron

    Sol Niger v2

    Bottle: VETIVER ALL UP IN YER GRILL! Incredibly strong and gritty and dark but there is a smoother edge to here as well. Wet: The vetiver remains strong but a secondary note emerges that is driving me effin' crazy!! I think it's sassafras and thanks for mentioning nutmeg, myth because that is definitely what it might be. There is a herbal sweetness and mentholic quality that reminds me a lot of Raven Moon. Dry: Like a drier, grittier Raven Moon. Stab in the dark? Ingredients include vetiver (defs), nutmeg or chili, smidge of sassafras and patchouli. And perhaps cedar. There's something in this--might be sassafras--that reminds me of... Sprite? The scent of Sprite with the strong lemon-lime component stripped out? There is a very light menthol here. It's not a mint but something mentholic. Again, could be sassafras. It's a really interesting blend. Throw: Strong. Very, very strong. Overall: I think I like it but I have to be in the mood for it. Where Raven Moon is a slinky scent, this is more of a... killer scent. There's a note in here that lends it a very bloody quality and it's definitely a scent made for kicking ass and taking names. Very aggressive and dark with dry, savoury notes and a smoldering aura. I can see why it's not exactly a forum favourite but it definitely suits the mood if you want to feel dark and brooding and like a very dangerous woman (or man as the case might be. It's a very unisex scent that is probably interesting to smell on different chemistries).
  9. donnatron

    Chaste Moon 2010

    Bottle: Like smelling running water. I get none of the creaminess of CM 05 but I'm okay with that because I like CM 05 from an aesthetic (as aesthetic as one can be with yer sniffer) point of view but I don't really like it on my skin. Is there baby's breath in this? Wet: Really intense white florals and a weird fruity note that I can't identify. I want to say papaya which is absolutely out of nowhere. Dry: I love this, man. This dries down to a beautiful, skin warm sort of scent that is floral without being excessively floral backed by a warm creaminess. Sometimes cream goes insane on my skin and so the florals reign it in and give it the proper astringency to make it really seem like a balanced scent. I think that's what I really like about this--it's a balanced scent. It's like Thai food (theoretically). There is a perfect blend of sweet and sour and creamy and acidic that makes it work perfectly. It's a balancing blend and it smells like skin but better in a creamy white florals sort of way and I love it. Throw: It's actually stronger than I though it would be but still pretty close to the skin. Long lasting. Overall: I really like this. It is a sweet and warm scent that smells wholesome without being weirdly virginal. It's absolutely lovely,
  10. donnatron

    Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors

    MCCLVII Bottle: Very strong violet with a hint of fruit. Not plum or black currant but definitely a berry of some sort. Wet: Candy violets. Smooth and a little powdery like parma violet candies. The fruit lingers but dies down before the full drydown. There is a white floral in this. A night blooming white floral but I can't place it further than that. Dry: Strong, strong violet with a white floral. The berry note prevents it from becoming too stuffy and old fashioned. It's definitely classic and very floral. I'm a fan of violets so I love this. Throw: Strong as hell. Overall: A soft, powdery feminine violet that's not too foody or astringent. I love it.
  11. donnatron

    Ares v3

    Imp: Sweet dragon's blood resin with something else dark and sweet as well--maybe balsam of Peru or benzoin? There is a strong pine/forest element here. I don't think it's cypress but it could be. If it is cypress it's spiked with something with a strong menthol component--juniper or eucalyptus? Wet: On wet it kind of smells like environmentally friendly cleaning products. Very strong menthol vibe over a sweeter, warmer base. There is something in this that is almost candy sweet. Dry: Sweet, warm dragon's blood with a smooth, creamy resin and lingering menthol. It's actually surprisingly pretty. Very, very sweet, almost candy sweet on my skin. The menthol is just too jarring for me to really like it. I love the base notes but that menthol makes it smell like I put on some great perfume and then I cleaned the bathroom. Throw: Moderate. Overall: It's lovely but not for me. Very happy to have tried it and if Ares ever gets a proper release I hope it will be similar to this proto.
  12. donnatron

    Motley

    Bottle: Mild and warm berry with a bit of champaca. If I had to pick a colour to associate with this, I would pick a polished gold. Wet: Sweet fancy Moses, there is the mushroom. This is REVOLTING when I first put it on. All mushroom and a hint of currant that smells artificial. Like I haven't showered in a very long, long time and am covering it up with Calgon. Dry: It takes a long, long time but this turns into a mellow champaca spiked with tart currants and rhubarb. Unusual and a little flirty and quite interesting. It's also a hella long drydown enduring a lot of mushroom gas and wrongness. I'm still not sure if I can bear the drydown well enough to make this worthwhile. It's a great champaca blend eventually but there are many other champaca blends that are wonderful from start to finish. Throw: The mushrooms are like, "GUESS WHAT I SMELL LIKE!!! SOMETHING UNGODLY!!" The actual drydown is pretty reserved and close to the skin. Overall: I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's a pretty scent but the drydown is really not my cup of tea. Yet, for some reason I keep wearing it. So it's probably a keeper for some deeply unsettling psychological reason I don't even know. Yippee.
  13. donnatron

    The Sea Foams Milk

    Imp: Right off the bat I'm a little frowny. I smell aquatic--nothing wrong there, I love aquatics!--and the milk note from White Rabbit. I, unfortunately, hate White Rabbit with the fire of thousand angry suns. Wet: Because I have the crazy I still decide to put this on my skin. That doesn't mitigate the problem, the problem being that I think this particular milk note is vomitous and want to never smell it again as long as I live. Instead I put it on. It sits on my skin smelling exactly like it did in the imp. Then I get a WAVE of vomity milk and aquatic cologne. I wonder about the state of my mind considering I knew this would happen and yet put it on my skin anyway. Dry: I have it on my arm and I'm typing. And I notice that the throw is amazing--all clean, fresh aquatic with a little seaweed and saltiness thrown in for good measure. So I sniff my arm up close. Amazing aquatic and milk vomit. Definitely not a scent you want to smell up close but not the unmitigated failure White Rabbit was on me. So bravo, skin chemistry. It's okay so long as you don't get too up close and personal. Kind of like a Canada Goose. Throw: The aquatic throws for miles. The milk stays close to my skin and ponders what other horrid things it can do to my olfactory system. Overall: While I value my personal space, I like hugs and cuddles and settling disagreements with Greco-Roman wrestling as much as the next person and a scent that draws you in by smelling lovely and then smacking you with milk vomit is not really one that I want to be wearing. Love the throw, it's just a shame about the up close scent.
  14. donnatron

    Has No Hanna

    Imp: Magnolia, straight up. As I sniffed it I thought the previous sentence and then my brain started singing the Paula Abdul song. Things are weird already! Wet: Magnolia and maybe some gardenia? Also a scent that reminds me of dill. But it's not dill. It's like a dill aftersniff. Definitely a little herbaceous, though. Then it reminds me of ketchup packages. But it's only very faint to the point where I could be making this scent up. Dry: This is really pretty. A heady magnolia/gardenia combo that reminds me a lot of Scared Whore without some of the scarier/more biological aspects of the scent. It reminds me strongly of Hell's Belle. Now if it is a good luck charm than we're good to go. Throw: Strong. Overall: I think I'm going to do a few tests of the imp for day wear and see if it works as promised. The scent is definitely great--if the effects are half as good I'm sold.
  15. donnatron

    Juliet

    Imp: The pear dominates with a hint of honeysuckle and lily. Wet: Still predominantly pear but the lily is unfolding a bit more and the honeysuckle and musk are blending into a quite creamy scent. The lily has gone a bit green and stemmy and thankfully the sweet pea is not present. Dry: Confession time: I have run through half an imp of this just dabbing it on and intending to review it and then finding myself at a loss of words because it turns into the most boring scent in the world on my skin. It's not gross or anything but it is utterly forgettable and boring and smells a little like cheap soap but without that inherently tart/oily (if that makes sense) that you smell off physical soap. But it is so very, very, very boring and I know it's my skin chemistry's fault because it sounds like a phenomenal mix of ingredients. I think the drydown is mainly lily and while I like lily, I don't like it this much. The pear has died a martyr's death and the other ingredients have fled in terror although it seems like they've left little remnants behind. And it is really, really boring. This is the type of perfume I'd put on, sniff and then put perfume on top of because it smells like getting out of the bath. It's probably great for people who prefer a lighter scent or a skin but better type of scent but it is not great for me. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's fine. It's wearable and dries down to a passably professional floral. It is not really jibing with my tastes but I'm glad to have tried it. And I'm glad to have finally written this review. Getting up the motivation to do that was my personal BPAL Waterloo.
  16. donnatron

    The Zadok Allen Vineyard

    Bottle: Whoa. That is oak. Lots of oak. And plum. And I never realized that I am really not a fan of an oak/plum combo, especially with wine. This is not Zadok Allen's fault and I will gamely try it out. Wet: Not pleasant. The oak is amping up and there is also something that I think is vetiver. Grassy vetiver, not smoky vetiver. This is all over a very sweet/tart wine and plum scent. Dry: The oak really calms down and this becomes a dark, smoky wine with plum and a coppery sort of smell that definitely evokes blood. Also a very faint hint of dragon's blood resin. I think the coffee might be contributing to part of the reason I'm not feeling this. There is a weird undertone to this that reminds me of Misk U (a notorious noooooooooo) and I think it's the oak/coffee combo. However, even though the drydown isn't that great at the beginning it morphs again about fifteen minutes into the dry phase and becomes a really lovely but slightly threatening wine scent. Very dark red and sort of glistening--like it's at the peak of ripeness and at the very edge of decay. Throw: Strong. Overall: The drydown takes its sweet time but this is definitely a keeper especially because it is full of great agers.
  17. donnatron

    Velvet Bandito

    Bottle: Spicy tobacco and cedar. Wet: Hot damn! It smells like clove cigarettes! Dry: It retains a lot of the clove cigarette scent but the cedar sort of smoothes it out and grounds it. It's a gorgeous blend, deep and spicy and a little woodsy and dry. Very simple but the simplicity works fabulously for it. The tumbleweeds are definitely the spicy note and I would hazard a guess they contain carnation or clove accord/oil or both. Throw: Strong. Overall: This is a pretty awesome scent. It's not my be all, end all of scents it is a good go to, especially on weekends and casual event where you want to smell sexy and interesting without being to professional or sleazy.
  18. donnatron

    Roadhouse

    Imp: Dandelions. Lots and lots of dandelions and a wee hint of beer. Wet: Still lots of dandelions. The question, of course, is am I just sensitive to the scent of dandelions or am I actually amping them? We'll never know because there is no one around to ask. There's also a scent in here like aloe vera. I think it's the hops. Dry: Huh. It's kind of like homemade dandelion wine, which is... an experience. There is a brandy or cognac-like scent here that is like dandelion wine. Weird. Still, it's predominantly warm, sweet dandelions with a swirl of booze and definitely a hint of beer in there. In fact it's that smells waking up after a rough night at a brew pub, picking the clothes you wore up off the floor and catching a hint of stale beer as you attempt to huck them into the hamper and then stumble into the kitchen for coffee. With dandelions. The weird part is that it's not entirely unpleasant. The hops seem to sort of liven it up and give it a bit of zippy greenness. In fact, despite the occasional whiff of beer, it winds up being a sort of offbeat summery floral. Throw: Somewhere between mild to moderate. Overall: Huh. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't a summer floral... that smells like a hangover.
  19. donnatron

    Vasilissa

    Bottle: Pink musk. Lots and lots of pink musk with a little hint of skin musk underneath and some sandalwood and myrrh beneath that. The star jasmine is MIA. Wet: I amp pink musk like nobody's business and it's always worst in the wet phase. This is all pink musk and then the sandalwood starts to break through. Dry: Then it's a lot of sandalwood. Which is okay, according to my sister who absolutely loves this scent on me. It's not just sandalwood, the pink musk is also prominent and the myrrh and skin musk are around. It's just the jasmine that does not show up at freakin' all. And I like jasmine so that is unfortunate for me and probably me alone knowing how most of y'all feel about jasmine. It's definitely a "young" scent but not particularly girlish on my skin. The predominant sandalwood makes it a bit more grown up and feels a little more suited to my actual age (mid-twenties) than to a teenager. Still, it smells like the new intern or assistant. This scent doesn't know its way around the world and while I never have this feeling while just straight up wearing it, as I was writing my review I was like, "It's going to have a hard time finding out." Which is to say that this is still a little innocent and soft around the edges. Or I'm just totally jacked up. Either/or. Throw: Strong. Overall: It's a pretty scent and I really like it. Enough to have run through half a bottle in about three months. I think it's a keeper.
  20. donnatron

    Baba Yaga

    Bottle: Oddly fruity and warm considering the listed notes. It seems closer to the Baba Yaga of yore to my nose than other posters seem to feel. Almost grape-y. Wet: Still warm and fruity with a cold hit of metal shocking through it. Kind of off balance. Dry: So, sometime during my BPAL travels I got an empty imp of Baba Yaga as a freebie in a package. It wasn't technically testable but I was going to test that sucker and I managed to get a few drops onto my skin. I find this version of Baba Yaga highly preferable because the imp I had was ungodly sweet and cloying and unfortunate on my skin. This is still fruity and warm but the metal note cools it down considerably while the moss and patchouli add a lovely dustiness that reminds me of Masabakes (tear). It's kind of like Urd if if Urd didn't make people ask if I was into weed and black light posters. Not headshoppy but definitely in that sort of range of scents. Throw: Moderate. Overall: Me likey. I actually didn't want to get this because I was so no enthused with the proto. I took the dive and I'm glad I did. This is a scent that will get a lot of wear from me.
  21. donnatron

    Scorpio 2007

    Bottle: Dark, sweet and sensuous. Very strong black musk backed by the sweeter dragon's blood. Wet: While not an exact dupe this reminds me enough of a Snake Oil without vanilla to help give me a stab at the ingredients--definitely black musk and maybe a bit of the dragon's blood. The two show up distinctly in this blend and they also distinctly remind me of some of the grounding notes in SO. Dry: The basil comes out strongly and while I was afraid I would smell like marinara I smell more like... a Vietnamese restaurant. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's more the smell of Thai basil and also the smell of sort of scrunching up and breaking apart basil in your hand--like I've got a big bowl of pho in front of me. There's an anise-y scent that might be the wormwood or might also just be my brain saying that Thai basil = pho = star anise. It's really quite interesting--like wearing Snake Oil out for Vietnamese food. But a totally idealized version where there are no smells of meat, fish or spring rolls. I'm more floored by how wonderful the basil note is than really put off by it. I really like this scent. It's definitely unusual and a bit magical, but overall fits the criteria of "dark, mysterious and slightly batshit" as my scent preferences seem to be drawn to. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I never really thought twice about this blend and then picked it up at a Meet 'n Sniff a few weeks ago. I'm glad I did because it is definitely a unique and lovely blend and while I probably won't need more than the bottle there are definitely times when I will need to smell like Scorpio. It is my ascendant, after all.
  22. donnatron

    Ophelia

    Imp: Eh. Boring. Slightly aquatic. Slightly green. Mostly lily. Reminds me of a scent I smelled a long, long time ago at a Liquidation World. I've never actually been this "meh" about a scent. I don't hate it, I don't love it, it's just kind of there and I'm actually wondering if I care enough to review this one (of course I do. I have a weird desire to review every GC scent). Wet: Still not loving this. The lily is the strongest note and the ivy is a curious one. I wonder if there's a difference between the ivy in GC and LE scents because other ivy scents I've encountered have always had a kind of... icky element. But I aged it out of Blood Garden so maybe this second hand (and kind of unloved since falling into my hands) imp is just super, super aged. Dry: It elicits a reaction, at least, and the reaction is that this is not bad. It's pretty simple, a bit of bubblegummy lotus, some powdery, possibly white rose (definitely rose but almost a little too strong to be white rose--it may be bolstered by the lily), a wee bit of lily and there is that slight diaper-y scent of the ivy. It's very faint and I only detect it with my nose up against the back of my hand. Reminds me a lot of other white rose blends like Clarimonde and Magdelene. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's pretty. It's not working wonders on my skin but it's a passable white rose blend and kind of lovely and powdery. I'd actually consider a bottle for work purposes because it is a perfect professional blend. But this is not a fun times blend for me and probably not something I'll be ruminating a lot on next time I do an order. Like the imp, will pass on a bottle for now.
  23. donnatron

    The Black Rider

    Bottle: Amber and leather and lots of dark, smoky frankincense. Wet: The amber amps up and almost goes play dough on my skin. The leather is a little plastic-y at first but that quickly dies down. It almost smells like there's sandalwood in this--maybe the tobacco? There is something a little citrus-y here. It might be the amber--some ambers are like that on my skin. Dry: Sexy as hell. It's a dark, smoky leather grounded by a spectacular tobacco/frankincense/amber base. Very dark and skin close and mysterious and... sexy. There is no other way to describe it. I want to do bad things to me and I smell good all the time! It's a marginally evil sort of scent. Not necessarily that I'm out slaughtering people by the millions but this isn't a scent one would put on to go volunteer at a soup kitchen. Things are going to go down and there might be a little blood. Throw: Mild to moderate. It's skin close and warm but lingers a long time. Overall: Love it. Intensely.
  24. donnatron

    The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife

    Bottle: Salty ambergris and light mint. Hint of honey sweetness. Wet: Wet it smells... very.... post-coital. Not necessarily a true approximation but the first time I put this on and sniffed it wet I was like, "People will think they know what I've been doing!" It's very salty and a little sweet and the honey warms it up while the mint cools it down. It's paradoxical but works together very well. Dry: The honey warms up a bit more and wrangles that salty sweaty scent down a little so this is still sexy and borderline inappropriate but doesn't smell like I just had a quicky in the coat closet. It's primarily honey and ambergris with a hint of aquatic seaweed and tempered and sharpened by the mint. It's wonderfully simple but that simplicity creates a scent larger than itself. It's an exotic, fresh, cool summery sort of scent that feels meant for hot, sultry evenings. Sexy as hell but not overpowering and somehow that light, almost clean note from the mint makes it even more hella sexy. Yeah. Hella. Throw: Moderate. Overall: It took me a really, really long time to warm up to this one. It is incredibly unusual and yet still one of the sexiest scents I've smelled in the BPAL oeuvre. One of those scents that should be tried for the pure experience, even if you're uninterested in wearing it as a scent.
  25. donnatron

    Cathode

    Imp: Dirty mint. Possibly a hint of the dreaded pennyroyal. Wet: The mints are really strong on my skin and there is a sweet, almost sweaty sort of scent underneath that must be the ambergris accord--does the lab have two different ambergris accords because I'm used to ambergris being more salty and a little almost... silty smelling. Dry: I think there is pennyroyal here and it is making this all smell a little like a bag of rotting mint. There is a little bit of the moss peaking through but it's not salvaging it. It smells like spraying men's cologne on rotting mint. Throw: Mercifully mild. Overall: To be fair I've had this imp for three or four years. This might be a scent that benefits from being fresher. At this point it's just too harsh on the pennyroyal and none of the other ingredients really shine through. Sadface.
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