Little Bird

Light white musk... two that haven't been mentioned yet: Ode on Melancholy - Lavender and wisteria, heart-wrenching pale rose, desolate white sandalwood and thin, tear-streaked white musk. Urania is great for white musk and moonflower (a sort of nighttime sky and white musk).

Subtle. Clean. Sweet. Floral. White Moon actually reminds me a bit of Dragon Moon, with its sweet and delicate blossoms. Only, where Dragon Moon had a warm and spicy sort of edge, White Moon has more of a clean and watery quality to it. This isn't a really remarkable or unique scent on me. It only lasts about an hour and is very light, but it's pleasant enough. Delicate, pretty blossoms. I can't pick out any one note, but it's definitely cool and flowery.

Shanghai and Embalming Fluid both smell strongly of green tea... Embalming Fluid is stronger/had more staying power and was more of a 'green' scent on me. They both make me want to grab a glass of green tea with lemon though. White Rabbit is an awesome, authentic black tea with hints of honey. A nice, clean fragrance. The Dormouse was also tea... but this one always struck me as being more herbal.

Much thanks to one of my scent cousins for a wee sample of this . Unfortunately, Arabian Nights isn't really my cup of tea. It starts off smelling like spicy florals (maybe carnation, maybe a spicy red rose, but it's not exactly reminding me of either of those particular flowers) and then dries down to a very powdery spice. This probably has one of BPAL's amber notes in it, because those often go powdery on my skin like this. Spicy baby powder. Not for me

I wish that I had held on to my imp of French Lavender so that I could compare it with this one. Bulgarian Lavender strikes me as being less herbal and medicinal then the French Lavender was on my skin. And, where French Lavender went a bit powdery on me in the drydown, this lavender becomes sweeter and more velvety. A cool, smooth, sweet lavender on me.

In the bottle, I'm mostly detecting a chilly skin musk that reminds me of night air and a very sweet, honeyed floral note. It's much more smooth and chilly in quality than I was expecting. I don't get any patchouli or leather at all from Trick #1, and this isn't as complex on my skin as the other trick or treat blends. It pretty much stays the same on my skin, even after several hours. On me... this is a strangely cold, watery musk. The only way that I could describe it is that it makes me think of water. I also catch hints of soft, sweetly perfumey floral. I thought that this would be my least favorite of the trick or treats, and it is. I don't really dislike this though. It's just soft, light, and simple musk on me. Not at all what I was expecting. It actually smells kind of like Silence on my skin only more watery.

Trick #2 and Treat #2 were my most coveted blends this year. In the bottle, this smells lightly of the fragrance that I get from Dixie Love Perfume (um, it reminds me a bit of the way that marijuana smells ((kinda spicy and leafy?))). Anyhow, I get that tobacco smell along with a gorgeous vanilla note and hints of pine. I fell in love with the fragrance in the bottle. Tobacco notes are usually awful on my skin, but this one holds some promise. I love pine blends, and this one is awesome. Voodoo is my favorite scent ever, and this is in the same category with its patchouli, pine and sweet vanilla . The spicy tobacco and pepper are also lingering about, and the earthy patchouli comes out in the drydown. I was worried about the pomegranate, but I don't detect any in this blend. I catch hints of a sugary berry fragrance every once in a while, but there isn't a strong fruity note on my skin. Trick #2 is a sweet forest blend. It has a pleasant sweetness from the vanilla and berries, so it isn't as dark or overly earthy as I was expecting. This makes me think of playing in an unspoiled forest as the sun sets, with golden shafts of sunlight filtering through the leaves of huge oak trees. The tobacco note is still spicy and reminding me slightly of marijuana, but it takes on a smokiness in the drydown (I normally hate smoke, but it's very sexy here).

Treat #2 was the blend that I was most looking forward to. Buttercream, chocolate, coconut, fig, spices? I am all over that. I was a little worried about some of the notes that don't typically love me (mainly the mint and orange). In the bottle... this smells like a very exotic truffle. It smells like a fig drenched in milk chocolate, sprinkled with warm, spicy ginger. On me... this is so strange. The hints of mint are warring with the warm spices over a backdrop of sweet chocolate and fig. I love BPAL's fig notes. They're sweet in a dark, wooden sort of way. After a few minutes, hints of a sharp citrus start to poke their way in. I'm not really smelling any coconut though. After a half hour or so, I'll have to agree that SueDonym summed this one up very well; it's something like smelling an empty box that used to contain exotic mixed truffles. The chocolate fades to the background and the spices come out more. They're slightly sharp, dark spices more than they are sweet though. The fig remains pretty constant and faithful on my skin, clinging for all it is worth. This is a dark and (surprisingly) not overly sweet scent on my skin. After wearing this for 2 1/2 hours, it's a light, toasted coconut and milk chocolate. ETA: I'm going back to edit some of my inquisition reviews, just because my bottles haven't seemed to age very well. I bought up three bottles of Trick #2 on ebay, since I was pretty fond of the scent. Over time, though, all of them have grown unbearably sharp. They're now dominated by sharp citrus and bitter spice with a nauseating sweetness lurking underneath. Perhaps the spice and buttercream didn't age well while some of the other notes faded away. Just smelling these in the bottle makes my stomach turn, and they're not much better on my skin. I can't pick out any of the chocolate, coconut, or fig that I liked so much initially. I'm selling all of my bottles

I received all four trick or treat blends today and immediately dabbed them on for testing. Treat #1 was my definite favorite in the bottle. It smells exactly like sour patch kids! You know, the little fruit flavored gummis coated in sour sugar. It smells strongly of lime and watermelon candies to me, in specific. I've been searching for an awesome lime scent, and Treat #1 is that. On me... this is a crisp, zesty lime and sour, sugar-glazed candies. It makes me want to lick my wrists . I don't like a lot of fruit flavored candy, but I adore the sour gummis. This is like sticking my head into a bag full of sour gummi candies and sniffing. Sweet, but with a bit of fruity bite. The lemon gets a bit sharp and the blend goes too citrussy on me for a while, but that stage fades down quickly into pure sugary goodness. Treat #1 is yummy, bright, and smells even more like watermelon jolly rancher candies to me after aging a few months . It has remained a favorite for me while Trick #2 and Treat #2 have aged horribly.

I almost didn't purchase Kindly Moon, but I talked myself into getting it because of the beeswax (which, of course, I don't smell at all in this blend). Sadly, this is probably one of my least favorite BPALs ever. Even when perfume smells bad on me, I can appreciate things about it. With Kindly Moon, this is just so boring to me. In the bottle... this smells like a washing machine filled with cold water, dirty clothes, and sharp citrussy laundry soap. Watery and soapy. On me... really strong and sharp floral perfume. Like the sharp smell that I get from department store florals. In the drydown, more of the soapy water smell returns. Intensely sharp and perfumey, with a drydown that is soapy and watery. I don't get any sweetness from this at all.

I was interested in trying White Cedarwood because some reviews described it as dry woodchips and then others as an actual tree. I get more of the dried woodchip version of this on my skin. Thankfully, white cedarwood doesn't go as awful or funky smelling on me as most cedar notes, but it's an incredibly dry woods scent. Almost so dry that it smells crisp and brittle to me. Like dry wood that's about ready to break... This has potential to be nice when layered with other scents (nicely added to foresty blends or florals), but I don't think that I could wear it on its own.

I wonder if the lab uses different types of red patchouli. I love patchouli and it smells lovely on me in most blends (especially the dark, intensely earthy black patchouli ), but the blends that say Indonesian Red Patchouli usually end up smelling awful with my skin chemistry. Indonesian Red Patchouli is like the patchouli that people fear when they think of patchouli, lol. It actually does have that dirty, unwashed smell on me with a very sharp and almost chemical-ish background. The singlenote isn't so bad after an hour of wear, but that first hour is awful. I smelled sweaty and in need of a shower, with some dry wood chips thrown in. The drydown (after a little over an hour) is nicer. This becomes much softer (almost powdery even) and a little bit sweet. Warm, dry, and woodsy. I don't think that I could wait out that first awful stage again, and it makes me sad that a type of patchouli doesn't like me

I just now noticed the community gallery and am drooling over all of the new labels. The new Ars Draconis label is gorgeous, and I'm loving the Halloweenie labels for Devil's Night and Samhainophobia. I think I'll order a bottle of Devil's Night just for the new artwork (kitties!).

Where oakmoss is dry, musty, and papery like money to me, Spanish Moss is the brighter, fresher, greener, and more clean smelling version. Three of my favorite blends (Bayou, Jazz Funeral, Whippoorwill) have this as a listed note, and I recognize that fresh and faintly soapy green smell. It's a watery, bright and slightly sharp green on me, with the faintest hint of something that makes me think of laundry soap (but never goes outright soapy or bothersome). I like this. I'd probably never wear it on its own, but I love it in blends.

For the most part, I can't pick out any of the mentioned notes except for a very clean, light, watery musk and the sweetly enchanting powdery floral smell of moonflower. I don't smell anything like mint, tea, peach, plum blossom, lotus, iris, or sandalwood. When I wear this, it makes me think of a manmade pond, all cement and gray stones, tinged with frost and icy on the edges... with some pale flowers floating around in the glassy water. It's chilly and a tiny bit sweet. I don't mean to make this sound very floral or very aquatic though, because it's not that either. It's almost a clean, cold, powdery sort of scent. But not bad baby powder sort of powdery. Silence is definitely a subtle scent. When I wear it, I don't notice it unless I have my nose pressed to wherever it is applied. And then it strikes me as smelling of clean skin, like when I first step out of the bath tub or shower and everything is cold and clean. Very interesting.

Schwarzer Mond was the blend that I had the most hope for out of the Black Moon set. Black Moon itself was way too 'feminine musk and floral' for me. But this one blends a lot of notes that I love with a lot of notes that I've never heard of before, so I'm excited In the bottle, this smells like a wonderfully deep and richly sweet patchouli and coca cola. I love that cola smell. My all-time favorite blend, Voodoo, has this smell to it. On me... I can't pick out any one note... this is like velvety, resinous woods, sweet patchouli, and a hint of something cola-ish. Definitely a dark scent, but with a sexy, hazy sweetness to it. It makes me think of walking into a dimly lit room that's smoky from patchouli incense and warm from burning candles. This won't be a favorite blend for me, but I do like it.

In the bottle and first on me... this smells like a watery, sad floral and reminds me of the impression that I get from a lot of the floral Funereal Oils (which I hate). Somber and cold. I can smell a sickly sweet pear note and florals. It's not a happy sweetness, it's sort of a bruised and sickly sweetness to me, like flowers that are rotting. In the drydown... this turns into a bland perfumey-sharp musk and sickly sweet floral on me. I can't pick out any one note, as it turns into that cliche department store floral scent. Black Moon gives me a vicious headache after a short while, it's just way too sweet floral and musk. This will be one for swapping.

The scent of the wild, hauntingly beautiful Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Pitch pine with blackberry leaf, cranberry, cedar wood and tomato leaf. I've tried on The Jersey Devil several times over the last few days, trying to understand what it's doing on my skin and what memories it is conjuring up for me. I know that this is supposed to be the Pine Barrens of New Jersey... but I grew up in the whispering pines of Missouri where my father had a garden in the middle of the pine trees... where we had a blackberry patch and a tomato garden. I feel like this is *my* childhood scent from the description. In the bottle, this smells like a yummy fruit juice. A sort of watery, sweet fruit juice that reminds me of Capri Sun (the juice that I fondly remember from my childhood, the frustration of never being able to get the straw in that little hole at the top of the packet). First on my skin, The Jersey Devil smells a bit like a less frosty version of Mistletoe. Definitely evergreen, with a slightly smoky and a slightly earthy edge to it. Then, after several minutes, that faint fruit juice smell begins to come back. It doesn't really remind me of cranberry though. I can pick out the interestingly warm spiciness of the tomato leaf every once in a while as well. I really like the fruitiness mixed with the evergreen, and this reminds me pleasantly of when I was younger and wandering around blackberry patches in the forest.

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said about this blend. On me, it's insanely strong jasmine and hints of a soapy, sharp rose. The jasmine is sweeter than it usually is on me, with an oddly herbal/green undertone. Definitely a strong floral with a lot of throw. I don't get the earthy note that other people have mentioned, though I wish that it came out on my skin. On me, this is just a strong, simple, soapy floral. I'm glad that I got the chance to try this one out, but it's definitely not a scent for me.

Pontarlier is a pleasant enough scent, though one that I probably won't ever really wear. I mainly get an herbal greenery smell from it, with what's like a hint of black pepper on my skin, and a very powdery rose floral. The overall feel is like I've been wandering around in a field picking herbs and wildflowers. It has a very natural scent to it. The absinthe is just a tiny hint of something black licorice-like deep down under the other notes. As it dries down, this winds up being a bit too powdery on my skin, and I'm not a huge fan of green scents anyhow, but still... I think I'd like this on someone else.

I want to drink Cockaigne right out of the bottle. It smells like buttery brown sugar strudel crumbles, perhaps with a touch of something nutty like there is in Hearth 05 (only nothing like Hearth 05 exactly, because the wood smoke, pine, and butter in that blend made me ill). This is definitely a warm, sweet pastry scent. On my skin... Buttery danish with brown sugar, sugar, and a hint of warm spice like cinnamon. This is such a warm and pleasant foodie blend. I worried that it would be too sickeningly sweet or buttery or foodie, but this is a comforting and non-overwhelming pastry smell on me. After an hour or so, a drizzle of sticky honey finds its way into the mix. Delicious. I love this one. I'm so glad that I sprung for the 10 ml unsniffed, because Cockaigne will be wonderful for wearing during the chilly winter.

Doc Constantine was the carny that I put off trying for the longest. BPAL's cedar, smoke, amber, and leather notes do not have a great history of working well on my skin... but I do love the masculine woodsy blends. I just don't have high hopes for this one. In the bottle, this smells sooo sexy. I'd be climbing all over a man wearing this. A perfect sex in the woods scent. If my skin doesn't turn the cedar smoke into putrid mesquite, I might be able to wear this. On me... this is all dusty cedar and worn leather. The dust actually reminds me quite a bit of The Rat King. It doesn't smell like forests or evergreens at all once it hits my skin. The cedar doesn't smell as bad on me as it usually does... it's just very dry and very dusty here (the dusty smell that I'm getting might be from the black amber, since BPAL's amber notes either smell of dust or baby powder on me). It has a pleasant smooth quality to it though. I think that this would be wonderful on my boy. It's definitely a masculine woods scent.

I've gotten several bottles of this one over the last couple years, and every bottle smells different (which I've gotten from most of the Carnaval blends, they don't seem to be consistently blended at all, or it's like they ran out of components midway through the run and substituted something?). I have bottles that smell like all red musk, bottles that smell like red musk and pine, patchouli heavy bottles, and a bottle that smells like nothing but red fruit candy. They even all have different oil colors (from clear to intensely dark red)...

In the bottle... this smells like a more crisp and less sweet version of Dorian. I agree with those who have said that Theodosius is like Dorian's older brother. A refreshing men's cologne, sweet vanilla, and an almost sharp sort of floral something. I'm kind of worried that the "jasmine leaf" will be too sharp and ruin this for me. On me... this doesn't have Dorian's crisp vanilla sweetness, and I'm kind of missing that. This is more clean perfumey musk and a sharp floral on me (it doesn't remind me of jasmine, it's more of a sharp and spicy floral smell). I also keep thinking that I smell a hint of smoky leather in here somewhere. Theodosius is too sharp and biting for me or the boy... it's just not as smooth and creamy as I was hoping for. I'll stick with Dorian for my tea and vanilla, lol.

In the bottle... this smells like some sort of fruit flavored cotton candy and reminds me of hyper sweet strawberry or blueberry. It's like sweet, fruity cotton candy and some sort of beautiful nighttime floral and air scent. Smells a bit like moonflower's cool, enchantingly soft floral. On me... mmm, this is such a unique and lovely fragrance. It isn't really a sugary sweetness on me so much as a tart sweetness. The ozone adds a wonderful little bite to the blend (and I normally don't like ozone or aquatics, but it's such a light background note here that it works wonderfully). Fruity, tart cotton candy, a salty but dry ozone note, and the chilly and slightly powdery smell of moonflower. This is the smell of a wonderfully happy and magical night though nothing here strikes me as smelling of incense. Midnight on the Midway is just gorgeous. It might warrant purchasing another couple bottles before the Carnaval leaves town.