Sistinas

a review of Anathema

Vial ~ Initially all I am picking up is the honeysuckle, light and floral.

I cannot detect any trace of vetivert or the black opium.

Wet ~ on my skin the vetivert is coming out a little bit. The scent is

something more than just pure honeysuckle, I think I am picking up on the

black opium also. So far I am truly impressed with this scent.

Drying ~ It is light,clean and sweet. I don't find it cloying at all tho.

I didn't find this as an in your face scent, but it is stronger than some

of the lighter scents I have tried.

Dry ~ The scent has stayed true to the drydown. This one is a winner.

I think I will be needing a bigger bottle of this one.

Fade ~ Anathema is hanging tough with my skin, not fading away quickly, and

has a slight throw to it.

Final thoughts ~ I really love this scent, it is not over the top and is

very beautiful to smell. On a scale of 1 to 5,I would give this a 5.

a review of Les Fleurs du Mal

Vial ~ the description says it all, roses,lilac and wisteria. Actually

mostly what I am smelling is the rose and wisteria.

Wet ~ the scent stays true to what it smelled like in the vial.

Drying ~ the rose is taking over as it dries and the wisteria is settling

down as the lilac picks up a bit.

Dry ~ The wisteria has really faded and the rose and lilac really stand out

together. It is a truly beautiful floral and for me not to overly sweet.

Fade ~ It seems to have a quite a throw and does not fade away that

quickly.

Final thoughts ~ This scent is truly strong on me and seems to be lasting

on my skin. The rose and the lilac make a truly beautiful combination

together. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.5

a review of Empyreal Mist

Vial ~ soft and sweet, not overwhelming at all. A very clean tea scent.

Wet ~ still very light, but not as sweet, very soft almost undetectable on

my skin.

Drying ~ As it dries, a green scent comes out, taking over the delicate

tea scent.

Dry ~ Soft green scent, very close to undetectable, I have to find it on

my skin, only because I know where I applied the fragrance. But I am also

able to detect a very soft berry scent.

Fade ~ It does not have much throw and it does not last too long on me, but

then again, I didn't apply much on me. Maybe if I slathered it might last

longer.

Final thoughts ~ This scent is so soft, not sure if this one is for me,

only because I would need to really slather this one on me. On a scale of

1 to 5, I would have to give this one a 3.

a review of Jabberwocky

Vial ~ lots of pine and eucalyptus, perfect for clearing up your sinuses.

Wet ~ The Eucalyptus is the strongest note, with the pine adding strength

to it's scent

Drying ~ The orange is starting to peak out, the scent is still strong,

but maybe not quite the sinus clearer it was earlier.

Dry ~ The orange is coming out stronger, now it is a blend of eucalyptus,

orange and pine. The scent is quite interesting to say the least

Fade ~ It lasted about a half hour on me, with faint traces of the orange.

Final thoughts ~ I am on the fence about this scent. On the plus side, it is

a unique scent, but on the down side, it does not last that long on me and

I am not so sure if I want a scent that is so strong with eucalyptus. On a

scale of 1 to 5, I am giving it a 3.

a review of Beatrice

Vial ~ floral, with a touch smell of powder, yet it has a creaminess to it

also.

Wet ~ roses with spice. Mmmmm it smells so very nice. To me this is Pride and

Maiden's lovechild. I don't find it either overly sweet or spicy, it is

blended just right.

Drying ~ the blend becomes stronger, but not overpowering. The spiciness

tempers the sweetness of the roses.

Dry ~ It is now this creamy light rose scent, I am always amazed at Beth's

rose scents. I never thought I liked them, this is a beautiful and very

feminine scent.

Fade ~ An hour later it is still there, less rosey and the spiciness has

come back.

Final thoughts ~ This scent is truly beautiful. It touches the inner

glamour gal inside of me. I want to go out, dressed up, wearing Beatrice

On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

a review of Old Scratch

Vial ~ genteel is one word for it. It is soft with lavender and I can detect

a slight hint of amber, unfortunately I have no idea what tonka smells like.

The patchouli is soft and not overpowering, in fact if I had not read the

description I would not have guessed it was there.

Wet ~ pretty close to what it smelled like in the vial. It is very softly

sweet, this scent is a good one for both men and women alike.

Drying ~ The lavendar keeps holding center stage of this scent, but the

underlying tones are what really make it from being just another lavendar

scent. It is soft, but so light that my skin eats up the scent immediately.

Dry ~ Someone mentioned that it reminds them of what a lush store smells

like. To me it has this light light smell (is this the tonka?) It almost

reminds me of Prince BBS. This is a nice scent to wear on a light warm day.

It might be more apropos for early summer or late summer.

Fade ~ Two and a half hours later, the scent is still there on my wrist,

a bit fainter almost like a lavender powder scent with tiny traces of what

I think is the tonka. Very lovelly indeed.

Final thoughts ~ This one is a big winner for me also. I would have to say

it gets a 5, on a scale of 1 to 5.

a review of Al Shairan

Vial ~ mmm, cloves and cinnamon, I also get that head shop sense too.

Fortunately for me, I love all these scents. It says in the description that

there is peach and orange but so far I have not picked up on those notes.

Wet ~ cinnamon, cloves and patchouli are what stick out the most upon

application on my wrist.Definitely there are some other dark incense notes

but on occaision I am able to pick up some citrus,which what must be the

orange.

Drying ~ This is dark and heady, but to me it is not over the top. I am

falling in love with this scent, it is truly beautiful, if you are a fan

of scents that fall into this category.

Dry ~ I am really not picking up on the orange now. It has dried and mostly

it is just dark with cinnamon, clove and patchouli. The clove does not

stand out that much, but you can tell it is there. I bought this fragrance

based on description alone and I am so glad, this is such a keeper.

Fade ~ Half an hour later, it is still going strong, it has lighten up some

but the scent is still there, warming and comforting to me.

Final thoughts ~ This one is definitely a keeper and I highly recommend it

to anyone who likes scents of this type. The cinnamon is the strongest

component but it does not flare on my skin. The clove and the patchouli

make great background scents that blend together with the cinnamon. On a

scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 5.

a review of Lightning

Vial ~ in the vial it is oh so wet with the slightest touch of ozone and

marine notes.

Wet ~ it has not changed much from application to my wrists, it does indeed

have this bit of salt in the air

Drying ~ still loud with ozone, to me it smells so clean, I have read others

compare it to a dryer sheet, but that is not what comes to mind for me

Dry ~ This scent is so clean and fresh, hmmm, I think I missed out on what

could possibly be a great summer scent

Fade ~ I haven't had it on that long to really comment on how long it lasts,

but as it is a light scent and generally those do not last that long on me.

Only time will tell.

Final thoughts ~ I would not recommend this scent to anyone who dislikes

ozone scents. However if you do, I highly suggest this one, it is fabulous.

Lightniing would be a great summer scent, hmmm, now all I need is some cold rain.

a review of Numb

Vial ~ soft floral, from what I have read from other reviews it is violet.

It is very soft and for me hard to detect, I find Numb to be very cool

and chilling.

Wet ~ it has not changed much, soft floral that invites ideas of wanting

to take an ice cube and stroke it across my neck to help cool me down.

NUmb is indeed the embodiment of its namesake.

Drying ~ As it dries the floral is taking a bit more control and there is

this tiny hint of citrus, but maybe is this my imagination

Dry ~ Still hints of violet, but the chilling scent seems so perfect for

the hot summer months. I cannot stop sniffing my wrists, I have a new

appreciation for it. Bravo Beth.

Fade ~ Okay this has been on my wrist for about 30 minutes and it is

starting to fade away, I think this would be nice to splash on and

think of some of the cool and numbing things I do to survive the heat.

Final thoughts ~ On first sniff of Numb, I was rather underwhelmed and kind

of meh about it. But now it is kind of grown on me.On a scale of 1 to 5,

I would give it a 4.

Vial ~ popcorn and butter, actually I am picking up butter but maybe not

necessary the scent of popcorn, but an odd assortment of smells from

a vendor at the carnival.

Wet ~ pretty much the same as it in the vial.

Drying ~ Okay not I can definietly say it is popcorn smothered in butter

Dry ~ Now that it had completely dried on my skin, it is so more butter

than anythinkg else.

Fade ~ of course, this one stays strong, most scents I don't care for end

up lasting long on me.

Final thoughts ~ This one is just not for me. I recall Red Hot Mama really liking

this one. If she wants it, it's hers. Most likely in a few days I will put

it up for swaps. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 1.

a review of House of Mirrors

Vial ~ spicy and citrusy

Wet ~ wet on my wrists, it is not so cutting. I am not picking up either

of the two components that I listed earlier.

Drying ~ As it is drying, the citrus is coming out more and I think there

might be some pepper (not sure). It sure is warming up on my wrist.I am

beginning to have high hopes for this scent.

Dry ~ It is spicy, I believe I can detect some musks along with the citrus.

This is not what I expected at all, I wonder if there is some ginger in

this also.

Fade ~ the scent softens down,and I think I have found a new love. It smells

so good and it fits into the scent category that I truly adore. Warmm,

spicy and just enough lasting power so it does not die down too quick.

Definitely need another bottle of this.

Final thoughts ~ This is not what I had expected from this fragrace. I was

thinking more along the lines of shattered. But this is a very warm scent

that I also am able to find some comfort from. On scale of 1 to 5, I give

this scent a 5..

a review of Snake Charmer

Vial ~ sweet incense, vanilla, and just a bit of plum

Wet ~ definitely picking up the musk and amber, I can see how many refer to

this as Snake Oil lite.

Drying ~ Still lots of musk and amber, the plum is starting to come out

stronger and it compliments the other scents wonderfully. I am sure the

coconut is there, but it is faint on me (thankfully). The vanilla is coming

out more too, it is a sexy, intriguing scent.

Dry ~ Now it is more fruity than anything, the amber and musk have taken

second stage, but there is still traces of sweet vanilla and if I really

look for it, the slightest trace of tobacco.

Fade ~ It is fading more into the vanilla, I am sure the plum is there,

but it is not as blatant as it was earlier. There is this golden honeyness

scent to it also.

Final thoughts ~ While the scent has beeen compared often to Snake oil and

admittedly there are some smiliarities. But this one is unique in its

addition fo plum and of course the drydown it totally different, more

honeyish, than vanilla. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.

a review of Gypsy Queen

Vial ~ sweet with the smell of florals and incense. Definitely picking

out the bulgar rose the most.

Wet ~ oddly enough on my wrist it smells a bit like tobacco leaf, sweet

with the green smell of flowers yet to bloom.

Drying ~ the rose is starting to fade, there is still this sweetness to it

but it is in no way cloying at all.

Dry ~ powerdry sweet incense. It is so apropos to the name of the scent.

I feel as tho I am in the chamber of a fortune teller awaiting to be told

my future.

Fade ~ I have had this on my wrist now for over a half hour, still going

strong, although it does not have alot of throw.

Final thoughts ~ I love this one, even it is sweet. One thing I have

learned from trying different bpal scents that I am not confined to

liking one family of scents. I would have never have thought that a

floral could be comforting, but this one comes across as one. But on the

same token it is very sexy also.On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a

4.5

a review of Geek

Vial ~ Upon first initial sniff, I thought it was rather metallic smelling,

wondering if maybe my bottle had been mixed up. But now after trying it

again, I am getting cinnamon and patchouli.

Wet ~ Mmm, cinnamon, patchouli, cedar and pine. So far not picking up the

leather, but I am sure that will come out. If the scent were to remain as

it is right now, I would be in heaven.

Drying ~ Now I am geting more cedar and pine, with the cinnamon in the

background.

Dry ~ Lots of cedar, very little pine and patchouli, as it dries, it fades

away.

Fade ~ Bummer that it fades so quickly, personally I blame my skin. It

seems to know that there are scents that I really like but say "no, not for

you".

Final thoughts ~ *Sob* I so wanted this to be a scent to really love, maybe

with more slathering would help. *sigh* Scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 3.

a review of Freak Show

Vial ~ cocoa bean, fig, lemon, a wonderful chocolate fruity blend

Wet ~ the blend is the same. Still lots of cocoa bean and fig are what

I am picking out the most.

Drying ~ Ahhh, now I am picking up the wonderful pomegranite. The cocoa

bean does seem to be disappearing. I can also detect the lemon again.

It is an extremely complex blend

Dry ~ It is sweet, not overdone, the pomegranite has taken over, yippee,

the blend of fig and cocoa in the background makes a wonderful mix.

Fade ~ Well over than half an hour after drying, the scent does work, but

mostly the pomengranite.

Final thoughts ~ Upon first sniff I thought it was another one of Beth's

nice chocolate/fruit scent, but this has turned into something more. I am

soooo in love with scent. Will definitely be needing another bottle of

this baby. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a whopping huge 5.

a review of Fire Eater

Vial ~ soapy, not much scent I have been able to detect

Wet ~ not much different than what i was trying to sniff from the bottle

Drying ~ ah eventually I am picking up cinnamon I think, spicy and faintly

floral, but i really have to look for it with my nose, this is not giving

off much throw

Dry ~ the spicy scent is picking up even more now, still not throwing much, but

it is a spicier, I think this one will need some slathering for a second

try and to form a better opinion.

Fade ~ For me, I did not pick up much of the scent to begin with, so there

was not much to it's lasting power. This scent is not going to work for me.

Final thoughts ~ I definitely will need to give this a second try and with

more slathering, as my skin is soaking up the scent leaving not much behind.

But at this point I would have to say this has been a disappointment for

me. But maybe I am not seeing what Beth's vision for this scent is suppose

to be. On a scale of 1 to 5, I am giving it a 2.

a review of Medicine Show

Vial ~ In the bottle I can pick out the tobacco, ginger and traces of the

elemi

Wet ~ on my wrists, the tobacco is still the strongest scent.If there was

balsam, I have no idea how it smells, which I know sounds odd.

Drying ~ Still the same clean smelling tobacco leaf

Dry ~ unfortunately I am not picking up much throw from this.

It is just sitting on my skin and I have to really sniff to find traces of

this scent on my wrist. Completely dry and at least 30 minutes later, I

think I am in love, it is warm from the tobacco and I bet the balsam also.

But it is slighty spicy and it does come across very sexy.

Final thoughts ~ I really went back and forth with this scent. While I do

love the tobacco aspect of this scent, it really wasn't giving me the OMFG

type of love. However on the drydown, it really started to appeal to me

and I have a new found love. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.5

a review of Torture King

Vial ~ I think so far this one has become my favorite. It smells so subtle

but yet it is very comforting for me. I am a sucker for musks too.

Wet ~ As I smell it I am able to pick out the sweet clove, leather, lime

and vetiver. Of course I can pick up the deep musk too.

Drying ~ the vetiver comes out rather strong, with a faint hint of the

lime. I think for some this might be a bit masculine for them, but I tend

to favor those more.

Dry ~ Completely dry now, it is grass, smoke, leather, but it is not dry

or dusty as one might imagine. The clove and the bourbon keep the it from

becoming too dry.

Fade ~ Definitely need to wear this one more. It also has a nice throw to

it.At one point it the clove faded, but it has reappeared, I might try

layering this with some cinnamon later on.

Final thoughts ~ This blend lived up to what I had hoped it would be.

The scents blend well together and throw off this wonderful scent that

is definitely unisex. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this one a 4.

a review of Bed of Nails

Vial ~ In the bottle it is very aquatic/ozoney. I wonder if there is some

aloe in this.

Wet ~ On me it is salty, almost reminscent of Tears, but there is something

more to it that I cannot pin down.

Drying ~ I think as it dries one of the notes I am picking up on is a trace

of lime. I am not picking up any wooden notes.

Dry ~ Dry on my wrists, and I have yet to still pick up an sort of metallic

scent. But it is definitely salty and the lime is gone.

Fade ~ It seems to be lasting quite long, but the throw is not very strong.

Final thoughts ~ So far, it is pretty nice, I loved tears and have missed

it's departure. It will be good for a summer day or even during the winter.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.

a review of Kunstkammer

Wet ~ very fruity, blood orange is very strong in this scent

Drying ~ still not picking up any pepper, which is a bummer, because the

idea of pepper and blood orange sounds so very good

Dry ~ What I thought was tropical fruit smell was just my untrained nose.

I looked up what olibanum was out of curiousity and it seems to be another

citrus/orange scent although some sites confused it with frankincense.

Fade ~ Unfortunately, it has faded to not very much. My skin soaked up this

scent and left very little behind.

Final thoughts ~ Originally, when I first tried this scent, I was a big

overwhelmed by the sweetness and thought it was too much like tropical

punch. But upon second try, It was not so nauseous this time. Unfortunately

it did not last long on my skin. On a scale of 1 to 5 I would have to give

this one a 3.

a review of Bearded Lady

Vial ~ In the bottle it is this wonderful blend of rose, jasmine and lily.

I am always amazed at how much I am able to fall in love with a floral,

before BPAL I never really cared from them.

Wet ~ powerdery but very floral, I think I have lost the rose and am just

able to pick up the lily and the jasmine.

Drying ~ fresh and floral now, not as powerdery as I had picked up before,

this scent is so feminine, just as described.

Dry ~ The scent has stayed true to it's drying phase.

Final thoughts ~ As much as I am learning to love florals, this almost seems

too floral for me. But I will keep my bottle for a few more tries to really

decide if it really is for me. I would love to give it a try on a night out.

On a scale of 1 to 5 I would give it a 4.

a review of 13

Vial ~ Okay, someone referred to this as chocolate cake yumminess, well

you say tomato, I say tomotto, I am thinking more of chocolate

pudding.

Wet ~ still lots of chocolatey goodness

Drying ~ Ah now I smell some orange. It reminds me so much of those

chocolate oranges that cadbury would sell around Christmas.

Dry ~ It has now morphed into this tea scent, but I am still faintly

detecting the chocolate. Kind reminds me of this chocolate tea that

I had picked up at borders "Mate Latte" made by the Republic of

Tea.

Fade ~ Well this scent lasted about 40 mins on my skin before it faded

away. It was lovelly while it lasted.

Final thoughts ~ When I deal roulette, I tell players that 13 is one of my

favorite numbers to hit. Lucky or unlucky, it does seem to

have some sort spell on us all. This fragrance seems to

bring out yummy lovely goodness, that lets me remember

what is in a superstition is all what I make of it. Scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

Here are the reviews of the chaos theories I have obtained, I hope that putting them all in one big post is okay.

1. CLXXXII (182) - I picked up this bottle via ebay needing an bpal fix.

Vial~ It comes across clean smelling and there is this light melon smell to it.

Wet~ same light sweet scent as in the vial.

Dry~ it has become a bit more buttery and the sweetness has toned down.

All in all it is a nice scent. Scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

2. CCXLI (241) - Another one I picked up off of ebay during my need of a bpal fix

Vial~ Oh man is this fruity, just not sure which fruits they are. Maybe more . like a Beaujolais.

Wet~ I think I can pick out some tartness in this scent, now I am guessing

The fruit is pomegranite

Dry ~ Unfortunately the scent disappeared on my hand really quick, I am

Having a hard time picking up any trace of scent now. Think I need

To give this one another try.

3. DXXVI (526) – This one was gifted to me from the wonderful people at BB

Vial~ MMMM, red ripe strawberries, nothing else, it is as if you are

Smelling them right off the vine. Need to get out my strawberry moon to compare the two.

Wet~ I have compared the two and the only thing similar is the

Strawberries. This one is just plain fresh strawberries on the vine,

So ripe, plump and sweet

Dry~ It stayed the same, just tamed down, I prefer this one to strawberry

Moon, which personally was just too over the top.

Scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

4.DC (600) – This is one of five that I bought from the Lab (I went a little crazy)

Vial~ lightly fruity, yet aquatic with a hint of spice in the background

Wet~ the fruit goes away, the scent is still very light with just a touch of

Cinnamon. If I were to have guessed the fruit I would have to say

Guava.

Dry~ A very light scent, especially for the summer.

Scale of 1 to 5 ->3.5

5.DCI (601) -

Vial~ this one is watery and very lightly floral

Wet ~ having a hard time placing the scents, maybe some orchid

Dry ~ clean smelling, aquatic, another light and refreshing scent for

Summer. Not sure if this one will be a keeper. Scale of 1 to 5 -> 3.5

6. DCXXXVII (637) –

Vial~ Rich, buttery Rum. But not as cloying as Grog.

Wet ~ on my skin it is not as rich, the creamy, buttery scent is staying true.

Dry ~ As opposed to the lighter scents I have so far, this one is heavy and

thick,It should do well for a winter scent. Scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

7.DCXLVIII (648)-

Vial~ Red berries with some pine in the background

Wet~ It doesn’t smell anything like it did in the bottle. Now it has an entirely

Different fragrance. It is soft and the berries are very mild.

Dry~ It has remant fragrance of berries but it also has this warming scent to it

At the same time. It is a truly beautiful scent. Scale of 1 to 5 ->5

8. DCLXXIII (673)-

Vial~ A light aquatic note with what I think could be citrus and ginger

Wet~ The Ginger has come out more and the citrus has died. It is a warm

But still holds it aquatic notes.

Dry~ Now it has morphed again, the ginger is still there, but slightly and

Once in a while it was a bit of fruit. It kind of reminds me of those jelly

Sugar drops. Kind of sweet, but also kind of spicy at the same time.

Scale of 1 to 5 ->5

a review of Kostnice

Vial ~ Initially out of the vial there is nothing attractive about this fragrance

unless you like the smell of rotting dirt, which of course I do.

Wet ~ not too much has changed

Drying ~ As it is drying, some faint flowers are trying to bloom throught the dirt, as if trying to push their way through, it is so faint that it must be a big struggle for them. I belive what I am picking up is the frankinsense and the slight of lily and bergamot rose.

Dry ~ It took a while for it to dry, but I think now I can start to make a few conclusions. First off the Frankincense is still there but now in the back ground, the lillies are strong but not overpowering and there is but a whisper of rose.

Fade ~ Not getting much throw from it, but when I smell the back of my wrist it is still going strong 45 mins after I applied it. For me and "my ever spongy soak up

the scent skin", this is a very good thing.

Final thoughts ~ This scent was named after a bone church in Prague and I find it very fitting. I wonder if some people think this would be a scent their grandmother had worn, not sure, but I do know that mine never did. Personally I find it very sophiscated and will be great for nights out. Hmmm, what are those again?

a review of Yog Sothoth

Vial ~ Like everyone else has said, a very clean scent, not getting the

dryer sheet smell, it is just remniscent of clean. My daughter thinks it

smells like shaving cream, but I know well that our sense of smell is

completely different.

Wet ~ not much different it is still a clean scent.

Drying ~ 20 minutes later it is still drying, guess I put on a bit much

since it was such a light clean fragrance. It is very hard to detect on

my skin.

Dry ~ It is just about dry, but I can hardly detect it at all.

Fade ~ you really have to sniff hard to find the scent, while I don't mind

a clean scent, I do not like to have to hunt it down.

Final thoughts ~ it is just meh. Not too impressed. On a scale of 1 out of

5: a 2