misfitroxy

I've been reading for a while now about Othello's place as *the* non-LE rose scent. Since I'm all about roses, of course I had to give it a test. It presents a dark, deep rose on my skin, almost soapy in its richness. The musk isn't distinct to me, but it's evident, as the rose notes are unlike any other that I've tested. I'm unsure what else I could add in an attempt to describe this oil. I think it's truly unisex in its complexity. And very striking. It's not the kind of fragrance I'd be inclined to pull out day-to-day, but since it is a beautiful rose, it's certainly a keeper.

The Lion certainly is a golden scent. It starts off smelling just like a freshly brewed pot of sun tea (think black Lipton tea bags with a touch of lemon). The oil sweetens as it dries. I can detect the amber now. But it's not as resin-y as most ambers that I'm used to. It reminds me more of an amber liquid, natural and glowing (like honey). I think The Lion is beautifully rendered and very soft and cozy. I know I wouldn't personally wear it, but I can see why it's enjoyed by so many. I may have to give it a test as a room fragrance because I think it would be heavenly throughout the house, especially in the summer months.

Oooh. Yes, from the very start Lenore smells like an oil I'm going to enjoy. It's got a wet floral darkness that reminds me of Medea. It becomes more smoky as it dries. I'm really not picking up on the vetiver in the least, which is surprising. The fruity plum is much more predominant, as is the lemon. Lenore is a fast morpher! The oil also fades pretty quickly on my skin, leaving something that's not all that discernable (though it is soft and pleasant). I may hold on to this imp for a while, as I'd like to give it a try or two before I make a final decision.

Dee is very spicy, masculine and woodsy to start. As others have mentioned, it's got a peppery quality to it which blends nicely with the woods (which bring to mind an ancient, well-worn cedar chest). I haven't tested a lot of leather blends as it tends to disagree with me. But I like the darkness it lends to Dee. It becomes more dry and musky after it settles down. I think this would be heavenly on a romantic partner, as it's crazy sexy. The oil is too heavy for my tastes, though. However, I will say that I can certainly see John Dee pouring over a pile of dusty books while incense wafts around him, so it's perfectly spot on.

I really love this in the imp. It's bright and sweet and almost fizzy candy-esque. A floral, sugary ylang ylang or light jasmine scent pops out when it's on my skin. As it warms, it reminds me of clove salt-water taffy, which is so curious (the scent, not the taffy - that's nummers!). It retains a warmth and sunny quality, though. After sitting with it a while, I'm realizing that this is the first BPAL I've encountered that's actually making my skin itchy, unfortunately. It's trying to turn plastic-scented too. Sadness! It really is lovely, though, and worth a shot if you're into cheery-yet-enveloping comfort blends.

Scherezade starts out sweet, incense-y, and spicy. And then it runs away! Eeep, where did she go? Seriously, my skin just ate this up in under five seconds. I can catch just the slightest whiffs of it if I shove my nose to my wrist. And what I do smell is lovely. It's a bit darker than the musks I normally wear. There's almost a lotus petal or dark berry quality to the oil as well - something wet and juicy that I can't quite place. Fortunately, the scent re-presents itself after a while. Guess it just needed some time to sink in. I'm unsure on this one as I sit with it. It's gorgeously blended and makes for a nice alternative to the favorites in my collection. But it's also heady and rich, and might be a little too much for my allergies to handle. I'd highly recommend it to people who enjoy incense scents, though.

From the bottle, Blood Moon smells of cinnamon and herbs. It's more of a bright, candy-ish cinnamon as opposed to the sharp bark scent. It's got almost a tonic quality to it, like cinnamon soda if that could (did or does) ever exist. It stays pretty true to the bottle scent on my skin, though it's more warm and dark. I don't know if there's actually vanilla present, but there's a hint of foody depth for certain. The spice dies out rather quickly on my skin. But the overall scent lingers - soft musk, light herbs, grounding grains and woods. Lovely, unique, and perfect for the late Autumn/Winter months. I'm loving this blend and will greatly enjoy all 5mls of it drop by drop.

Very sweet and candy-like in the imp. It brings orange soda to mind, in fact, but something more along the lines of Orangina instead of the uber artificial kind. It's warmer and reminiscent of blood oranges on my wrist. The candy quality goes away leaving a darker sweetness behind. There's a floral here as well, maybe a light jasmine. The blend is exotic to me without containing potent spices. It is sexy and intriguing. While not totally depraved, I can understand how it would inspire kinky thoughts. Good for a night when you're up for pretty much anything. I should also add that it's not an extremely strong scent and would probably need to be reapplied if you're going for potency.

I'm surprised by wickedgoddess' review, as this oil is extremely "soft and feminine" on me. Skin chemistry differentiations never fail to surprise me. Thanatos starts out very soft and rose-y in the imp. It's comforting, a rose blanket if you will. There's something tranquil about the blend, interestingly enough. I imagine a dusty Victorian parlor in the midst of the Summer filled with dried roses. All the curtains are shut to keep the heat at bay, but the temperature amps the scent nonetheless. It turns sweet and almost creamy on my skin. I can understand the comparison to Gypsy Queen as there is a bit of that deep floral quality found in that particular oil (of course, this is rose, as opposed to carnation). Thanatos is more heady for me, though. Its throw is powerful. I don't even have to lift my wrist to my nose to catch whiffs of it. I expected this blend to be much darker than it is. It does warm up after a while, and I can catch the sandalwood peeking through, but it's more powdery than smoky on me. There's a sharpness in the background that's not quite wanting to mix with the other elements as well. I'm uncertain about this one and if I'll wear it. There's nothing about it that I don't like, per se. But it's just not grabbing me how I expected it to. I think I'll let the imp age a bit and see if it morphs.

The devil’s herb, which he cultivates with skill and pleasure. According to lore, the spirit of this plant may take the form of a breathtaking, achingly beautiful woman, deadly to behold. This scent is a tribute to such a dark and magnificent plant: a rich green and floral blend, earthy and haunting. Belladonna is straight up fresh cut herbs in the imp. It makes my nose zing a bit even! I can pick up something close to rosemary from the start. There is a menthol-esque background too which makes the blend bright. I'm reminded of my grandmother's pantry for some reason. Perhaps because there's a bit of dust (to my nose) in the blend that makes it earthy and aged smelling. Like a well-used spice rack that's been neglected after some time. I really do appreciate the oil but I'm unsure as to if I'd wear it or not. I can't really imaging wanting to smell this green, but it brings up a whole host of memories for me in the most wonderful way and I find it comforting as such. Plus, it makes me want to aspire to more refined kitchen witchery practices and sets my brain on "bake and brew" mode almost immediately. Enchanting for sure.

The Apothecary starts out as both astringent and floral on me. There's something incredibly familiar about this blend. Something reminiscent of a perfume of the 1980s that I can't quite place. The grass note is certainly vibrant. I had expected it to be a tad more mellow, but this is fresh cut grass instead of the milder, field scent. I can't say that I detect the ginger at all. The fig may be adding a touch of sweetness, but I'm uncertain. There's a bitter element in the background that turns the oil almost sour against my skin. It mellows out a bit as the blend dries, but it still turns my nose ever so slightly. Guess it's something new that doesn't care for my particular chemistry. Overall, I'd say The Apothecary is bright, though slightly chemical. It's clean, and ideal for someone who wants to smell nice but not overpowering. I would deem this a skin scent for sure, very unisex - as others have noted - and unassuming. Not for me, but intriguing nonetheless.

A very rich, warm perfume-y vanilla is what first comes to mind. Sadly, it turns almost immediately soapy after that first stage. The blend is a combination of sharp and warm notes. Almost like trying to bake with ozone elements. There's something here (meaning the bright, twinge-ing note) that I believe is also in Yog-Sothoth (or at least it's reminding me of that particular scent for the moment). That component mellows considerably as the oil dries, but it's still not wearable on me. Antique Lace is far too contradictory with my chemistry. I appreciate its uniqueness, and can certainly understand why it would be well missed. My imp will go to a more deserving home for certain.

Whew! Strawberry overload! This oil is very reminiscent of the strawberries in sauce concoction that one finds on funnel cakes, waffles, and other such tasty treats. But it's absolutely spiked with a bright liquor. It hops off my wrist, bright and bold. The champagne note is a tad bitter on me and turns the strawberry more artificial than I'd like. It doesn't seem to be morphing much beyond my initial impressions. Though it does take on a sweeter, hard candy scent after a while. Sort of what you'd expect from a Strawberry Jolly Rancher - super sweet but a tad tart at the same time. As a final assessment, I would say that Bon Vivant is fun and merry for certain, but not for me. Glad I was able to give it a run, though!

Santa Muerte smells musky and almost rancid in the imp. I'm hoping it's just the oils mixing and mingling while wet and that it will morph pleasantly after hitting skin. The first thing I notice after dabbing my wrist is that the blend has a decent amount of throw to it. That being said, it's much lighter than I'd expected. The florals are all potent in their own right but seem to calm down when placed together. I can smell the roses the strongest. They're joined by other blooms that do smell rather dusty and natural as though they belong by a desert roadside, perhaps as a part of a memorial bouquet. Oddly, I'm really not picking up on the vetiver in this. While there's a darkness in the background, it's subtle and merely heightens the florals instead of overtaking them. Santa Muerte is a lovely oil and absolutely captures its namesake in full. However, the flowers are too rich for my tastes and simply do not suit my own character. Someone who has a taste for florals and the deep, dry desert would appreciate this for certain.

Upon first whiff, I'm catching a wet dirt scent combined with an odd salty sweet kind of perfume. After swiping my wrist, I can detect just the slightest bit of floral peeking through. But that's overwhelmed by an unpleasant, stale popcorn covered in rancid butter kind of smell. There is obviously something in this that truly hates my skin. I can barely bring myself to keep sniffing it! I don't think I've had this bad of a reaction to anything yet (to the extent that it drowns out any prospect of other notes). Beyond that, I'm getting no spice, no earth, nothing beyond a sickening sweetness and staleness. I'm going to have to wash this one off because even if it's gorgeous one hour from now, I simply cannot stand the first phase. Miss Dreadful will be leaving my house swiftly, just as cruelly as she came.

Whooo. There's a lot of jasmine in the imp while Nyx is wet. It stays excessively potent after it's applied as well. In fact, that's about all I'm getting right now - big, wet, juicy, almost fruit-like jasmine blooms. It's so strong on me that it almost smells rotted, like heated compost. It's very earthy in a way, and more petals than perfume. I'm surprised that it's retaining the top jasmine note so strongly as myrrh and my skin are normally best buddies. I can't pick it out here, though. There's a bit of a powdery rose attempting to poke through. But it's beaten into submission by the loud and proud jasmine element. Simply not friendly on my skin. Hopefully someone else will provide a home for Goddess Nyx.

Direct from the imp, I'm detecting a minty candy sweetness that reminds me of the center of a York Peppermint Patty (mmm). The mintiness remains after swiping a bit on but is joined by a dark, almost licorice musk and just the slightest hint of lavender. It is very herbal on me and I really can't get past the licorice/anis smell. There's something reminding me of bergamot in here too, which makes it resemble Dorian just the slightest (and I do mean slight. It's more of a scent memory than actual comparison). It's a very curious blend, indeed, that works delightfully for the Hatter's character though sadly not for my own.

Very sweet and candy perfume-like in the imp. Orris is a new note to me, but I'm guessing it's the floral that begins to waft out once this reaches my wrist. Beyond that, I'm getting the sweetness of blood and just the barest hint of coconut. The latter is definitely more nutty than dessert-like, on my skin at least. There is something very traditional about this blend. It smells like the eau de toilette bottles I used to sniff as a child while wandering around the Cosmetics Center with my Mom. It's not overtly strong or imposing. I find it to be clean and mellow. But the oil is far too tropical floral for me, even if that element is more restrained than usual. Pretty if you're a florals fan. Just not for me.

A warm, soft, sexual blend. Sweet and alluring. Used to entice new lovers and add an aura of temptation and carnal sin to your environment. French Love is candy sweet in the imp, as is usual with dragon's blood. It doesn't retain that wet, uber sticky quality that dragon's blood normally leaves on my skin, though. It turns rather floral on my wrist with a warm, spice-like background. There is a just a *touch* of some kind of plastic-like note that's trying to present itself (it's actually reminding me a bit of Madrid which turned to a grey, already-been-chewed gum scent on me. Aike!). Hopefully it will stay away! As the description says, the blend is soft. It doesn't have a bunch of throw, so far as my nose can tell. But it would be overly cloying if it did, so that's a positive thing. I can't say I find this oil to be a sexual one, per se. It does smell slightly medicinal and thus intended more for practical use than just plain perfume. I'd be inclined to layer it with a deeper wine scent to make it more wearable on me. Either that, or it will be used for candle work.

No current object of affection to actually test this one on, so it's purely a sniff-test for me. This blend is powdery, as others have noted, but it's balanced out by rich florals (I'm thinking jasmine here, as I'm being reminded of LUSH's Flying Fox shower gel like woah). I find this to be a bright oil, not musky as others noses seem to deem it. I guess it's really a body chemistry thing at work from person to person. As it dries, it turns more faint, but the richness remains in tact. I can see this as an extremely flirtatious blend as worn by someone fond of batting her lashes at prospective suitors after dabbing Follow Me Boy in her cleavage. It's a very yellow scent to me, like a pastel dress accented in lace. It's Southern summer afternoons accented by a glass of lemonade, rocking on a shaded porch to escape the humidity. I wouldn't wear this out unless I was certain I wanted to test its voodoo properties because it does seem overtly enigmatic to me. If it does indeed boost financial success, then it will be finding its way into my rituals for certain.

Sin is straight up patchouli in the imp. Though it's sweet instead of smoky, more like incense mixed with resin than pure essential oil to my nose. On the skin, each element steps forward in its own right. The cinnamon is of the bark varity, complementing and adding to the existing wood elements. The amber warms the blend, but overall it retains a certain dryness and heat. As much as I adore the scent, I can't see myself wearing it as a perfume. It strikes me as something to be used for calling forth spirit images from a fire. Or even to settle the mind for meditation, as its various earthy notes are incredibly centering and grounding. No matter how you use it, it probably shouldn't be slathered on for fear of knocking down anyone who may choose to cross your path. Sin is potent to an extreme and quite evocative. Definitely an experience to be tried.

Viola smells very rose-y and sweet in the imp. It's much sweeter than many of the rose blends I'm used to (which are normally dry or mixed with something heavier to balance it out). Almost honey-like in fact. It warms up instantly on my skin. I can smell the amber for certain (I'm guessing that's what is reminding me of honey). It retains it floral qualities the strongest, though the scent itself is rather light and doesn't seem to have a lot of throw. I'm not catching much else from this oil. It's a nice perfume, but not something that's overly striking to me. I'm tempted to age it to see how/if it changes over time. For the moment, I can sum it up by saying that this is a wet, sweet floral blend that's rather unassuming but pleasant and friendly.

At first, this reminds me of a cross between BPAL’s wine note when it’s wet and the fruit bubblegum scent that many others have mentioned. The dragon’s blood pops out before the lotus, which amps up the berry candy quality to this blend. I can detect the lotus, though it’s almost sticky like gum while you’re first chewing it. Strange image there, but it’s what comes to mind. After a while, it gains a powder quality that makes me think of Sweet Tarts. I enjoy each component in this oil and think they work well together. However, it’s far too sweet a scent for me to wear. It’s positively pure candy and doesn’t deviate from that in the least as far as I can tell. It does lighten significantly, making it a terrific flirtatious summer fragrance. I’d rather let someone else give it a go, though. I'm glad to have tried it out, at the very least!

Bluebeard is very white in the imp. It’s clean and almost citrus-y, but leaning more toward a masculine sort of fragrance as opposed to something feminine and light. There’s a touch of something herbal too. Maybe sage? It’s a strange cacophony of scents on my wrist. Sadly, I don’t do well with violet at all. It’s turns to home perming solution on my skin. This oil isn’t an exception (though it smells a bit more like cleansing soap instead of hair treatment this time around). It’s all plastic for me with just a bit of warmth from the vetiver peeking through. It’s extremely wet and aquatic as well, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s nowhere near wearable, though, and thus will have to find another home.

Medea is spicy and wet in the imp. I’m thinking of alcohol-drenched cherry cordials for some reason, though it’s not as sweet a fruit as cherry. More like alcohol-drenched pineapple, if that can be imagined. It warms then sweetens even further after it’s on my wrist. This is a very vintage-evoking scent. I’m seeing silent film stars reclining on velvet couches with heavy draperies piled behind them. It’s also bringing me images of lavish golden temples and women covered in jewels (but little else) carrying plates of exotic foods or large palm leaf fans. I’m amused because what pops into my brain at last is that there’s something snobby about the blend. It’s stand-offish and invites a cruel turn of one’s lip. Needless to say, I love it for the visuals alone! This is a strong oil with a lot of throw. It’s heavy and not something I’d recommend for daytime wear. It’s much more of a heady floral than something I’d chose to wear regularly. The orchid is very prominent along with the cereus (which reminds me of one of my favorite books – Shani Mootoo’s Cereus Blooms at Night. This scent could fit right into its pages with ease) but there is a spicy element that grounds them and keeps them from becoming either cloying or overly perfume-like. As a final estimation, I would say this is a powerful oil. A take-no-sh*t oil. Suitable to its name and then some, you wouldn't want to cross someone wearing Medea. I’m hanging onto it for those days when I need some extra oomph. This is also a blend that I can see only deepening and growing all the more rich with time. The prospect sends shivers running up my back.