MCS4096

I am so so grateful to the person who answered my ISO and gave me the opportunity to get my hands on this, thank you Like violetblue, as soon as I read the announcement I knew I wanted it, and I made an ISO post..

 

As everyone else has said.. this is a dead ringer. If you are not familiar with the smell of ink, this is deeply resinous and very peppery.. almost like a spice cabinet smell-- cumin, or something like that. There is a hint of this note in the recent Blood Moon I think.

 

It is strong and distinct.. not something I will wear super often, but a scent that's so evocative to anyone in the art world that it's irresistible.

Spot. On.

 

This is exactly what real carnations smell like-- slightly spicy, a little creamy, and a hint of greenery. Before I met BPAL I never would have thought I'd become a carnation lover.. but it is hands down my fave floral, and one of my fave scents ever.

 

This doesnt have huge throw or longevity, but it's so true and beautiful. Glad I ordered 4 bottles

Juicy sweet fruits and a hint of chocolate. As it dries the fruits become less obviously sweet, a little more floral.. still very light on the chocolate. This isn't something I'd normally choose to try, but I was intrigued by the figgy vanilla Unfortunately I get none of it! I personally feel the Lab's chocolate note blends better with resinous and dark notes.. with lighter, higher notes the chocolate IS grounding but winds up smelling kind of flat and cheap to me

I decided to buy only one metamorphosis blend, and it would be unsniffed since I missed the decant rounds. After reading all the reviews I decided on Two-Barred Flasher. I owned Irrelevant and Disturbing Surreal Crawdad Dream for awhile as my token blueberry scent, but I eventually let that one go as it never quite worked on me..

 

This is much better! I don't really like the taste of blueberries, but I love the smell. And in this blend, which is soft, rather than sharp/sour/realistically fruity, the inherent juiciness of the berries is balanced by the dry orris and powdery lilac. There is enough tea and bergamot (although, I love bergamot and there could be more here in my opinion..) to keep the blend smelling fresh. The end effect to me smells almost like grape flavored candy

 

It's not totally my usual kind of blend, but it's slightly off-beat feminine vibe is something I do desire occasionally. I think I made a good choice!

You guys had me at 'The Girl' alas *sigh* while I would agree they are in the same general scent family, Lady Death has this high pitched squeal of.. I don't even know what.. I think it's a combo of things, and the result is super generic Perfume. I can sense the lovely amber and musk base clinging to my skin, but the throw is all sneeze inducing Perfume. I'm going to hold on to it to see how it ages.. hoping the high notes will burn off and the musk and amber will come out.

When I smelled this in the imp I thought "no way!" but after reading Helas' review I decided to give it a go.

 

Neroli doesn't always smell so citrusy on me, but for some reason in the blend its juxtaposition next to the vetiver makes it smell like Lysol death. It's not blending well for some reason, and in the throw I get vetiver alone, then Lysol death, then vetiver..

 

I think I prefer vetiver in heavy, spicy blends, rather than tempered with other high notes.. my skin is just breaking this one apart.

I get a lot of iris and black musk, with violets not far behind. The effect is certainly inky and soft. I don't really get any neroli that I can tell. I'm a huge black musk lover, and I just don't like it as much when mixed with the violets.

 

This blend has a similar (although darker) feel as Une Folle Enterprise.

I love this The lilac is in check, the leather is perfectly proportioned.. To me this feels like a blend of TKO and Liz.. it's beautiful and easy to wear.

Upon initial application this is strong rum and a blast of coconut. Shortly thereafter this blend morphs through the rest of the notes and I get a chance to smell each in turn. I was worried when it appeared to settle on bad wine, but then the coconut came back again and the leather sat squarely in the background. I think I might like it better than my current "beachy pirate" blend, Port Royal.. I may have to death match them.

I've waited a long time to finally try this blend.. preconceived notions are that it will be Bad

 

In the imp I'm actually surprised because I think it smells sorta good. It's a sweet and salty creosote smell.. more like the fire to me, than the meat cooking over it. There's also a powdery/perfumey element to it I was not expecting.. it's like a floral musk under there.

 

Ok as it's drying down I am truly truly shocked to say.. I really like this It's playing so well on my skin (as most smoky/incensey/dark blend do), and the throw I'm getting is sweet powdered musk with the slightly hint of salt, just enough to keep it from being old ladyish (can you believe I'm describing Gore-Shock as potentially old-ladyish? lol)

 

The smell is reminding me of something, and I'm trying desperately to recall it. I cant quite grasp it.. but it's definitely not a ham and mayo sammich

 

Wow.. I may have to find a bottle. Amazing!

Straight up "fake" smelling chocolate, which I love. Its definitely got the milk base from Boo and also Nonae Capritona.. as such it goes a little sour. I also smell coconut in there. Never really get felt or glue.. maybe that just blends into the fakeness of the chocolate note. Glad I got a chance to try this one

I was very excited to try this blend and was able to pick it up off a kind forumite!

 

Musk and violet are predominant in this, on my skin. Violet always smells a little strident to me.. I with the iris were a bit stronger for me. The musk and violet are joined together by the licorice root/anise notes, which just round the whole thing out. I get a little more iris as it dries down.. softening it out some. I get the B340 comparison. That blend was so light I could hardly smell it (and so let my bottle go), this is definitely stronger. I'm not getting any of the other notes listed.. I wonder where they are.. This winds up quite a bit like Bruised Violet Compound to my nose-- hopefully it'll age a bit because I didn't love that blend..

Very pink, yet noticeably green underneath. I don't get any pepper, and I can smell the daisy and carnation fairly equally. The sugar note comes across more as cotton candy to me, or even slightly bubble gummy. I was hoping for a "pink sugar" sort of scent, and this isn't quite it, although it's nice enough. Very feminine and innocent.

I can tell this is going to be a great thread.. I've already decided on a couple blends I must have before they come down based on the couple things people have already said here Seriously though, I am really sorry to see the Salon go also. The concept of these blends seems so intimately tied to my understanding of BPAL in general -- a scent interpretation of a visual experience. It's more than using scent to evoke a feeling or a memory personal to the wearer, it's recreation of a concrete image. I'm rambling, but the point is I can't believe these scents are leaving..

 

 

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow - One of the first BPAL blends to intrigue me based on it's description. It's so evocative of the image, and the idea.. it's cold, and sweet, and charged.. You feel the fallen snow and the electricity in the air, and the frankincense lurking, dark and old, beneath. This is far above any other snow/ozone atmospheric blend I've tried from the lab. It's one of my boyfriend's favorite ever blends.

 

Cleopatra Testing Poisons - Truly the only peachy scent from BPAL I've enjoyed. It's syrupy and brooding and deadly. Such a complex blend but so obviously peach. It's deep and spicy, like a fermenting peach in syrup rather than a springy, fresh peach. I only have a decant, but I've had a bottle on my list for years. Now's the time I suppose.

 

The Smiling Spider - Clove fans you must have this blend. The patchouli is well behaved and this is all incensey, dark, woody, clovey goodness. It's slightly masculine, and sorta badass while still being a true comfort blend. It's like the spider exactly-- kinda fuzzy and cute.. but a goddamn spider!

Haloes - (Are retail exclusive Salons leaving too? I assume so..) This one was worth finding an angel for. My bottle was purchased in Georgia or someplace and shipped to me unsniffed. It is a perfect warm vanilla and wood. This stood in for the unattainable Glowing Vulva (for me at least, I know others don't get the comparison).

Ok so.. I got an imp of this from the lab, and LOVED it. Gorgeous peppery brown leather. I notice there is a little bit of sediment on the bottle of the imp. I immediately ordered a bottle, and it arrived sediment free and smelling of nothing but red musk. Maybe the smallest hint of leather.. but NOTHING like my imp. WHY!?!!?!

Goes on chemically and crisp, but not dry. Definitely a white leather, very clean and smooth. Does not smell like a leather goods store (see Red Rider).. it's more the impression of leather. A nice dose of sweet sandalwood. I like it a lot!

I dunno how they isn't cinnamon in this.. I guess the balsam is just kind of spicy.. This smells like fabulous leather and spice. It's not my favorite leather though, but it is a good one-- very true and very unisex.

I agree with Gwydion, this is just as I imagined it.

 

The cranberry and current are balanced on application, but the current comes out more for me with time-- it goes from being somewhat sour and fizzy to sweeter and rounder. The musk amps on me and unfortunately I dont get as much pink pepper as I was hoping for (love me some pink pepper).

 

It's a little bit nose tickling to me (is that the pepper?! why can't I smell the note and kinda boring eventually. Pretty, but not my thing and not unique enough for my liking.

This is SO tasty!

 

I love that I can smell the grapefruit (my fave citrus, which I like loads more than any other citrus) and it's perfectly sugary with only a hint of vanilla. Simple and easy to love!

Immediately after application it is STRONG pineapple and mint. Then honey oozes out, and I hate it.. I hate the lab's honey note, sorry

 

I never get any musk at all unfortunately, and the mint disappears quickly, leaving honey, then pineapple, then a hint of banana. Not my thing at all I'm afraid.

Another linden lover here

 

If I put my nose close to my skin I get a lot more of the clean laundry-ness, but the throw is all glorious juicy green linden. I love it! I get no vanilla whatsoever.

 

Also, I've applied it somewhat close to Doozers and they smell fabulous together.

On an initial sniff test of all my Fraggle imps, this is the one that I liked most, surprisingly. There is a sharp radish high note when it's first applied (which I actually really enjoy, odd since I detest eating radishes). It mixes wonderfully with the earth note, and beneath it all is "glittering crystals" which I think I recognize as a powder note such as is found in Diabolical Offspring (although like hlinspjalda I can't quite put my finger on it's identity). The overall effect is somewhat dry, and dusty, but also comforting. The high pitched radish note goes away completely with time and I'm left with a perfect incense-like earthy scent. Really interesting and unique.. and probably a bottle purchase for me

 

Edited to add: Ok. This... is weird. The scent has morphed to smell (I swear) exactly like marijuana smoke ummmmm

A very clean, light purple scent. Definitely has a soap-like quality as others have said. My skin amps orris, so I get a lot of that note in addition to the strong lilac. It's a very well blended scent, with all the notes cooperating with each other. I think I may like it more than my resident lilac blend, Penis Admiration.

Banshee Beat was actually a retail only blend sold out of Urban Outfitters. I don't know what the "space 15 twenty" means but my bottles are from the second release and don't say it so your bottle must be from the original release(score!).

 

ETA: Lookie what I found!

 

Located in Los Angeles, Space 15 Twenty is a unique retail setting, which creates an opportunity for Urban Outfitters to collaborate with creative brands that they find inspiring and interesting. Within the 12,690 square foot Urban Outfitters store, they showcase distinctive designers with a new pop-up shop every month. Each store is connected by an outdoor courtyard, which includes a performance space and adjacent gallery, both of which encourage participation in the curated environment. Aligning with local music, film and art venues, the courtyard and gallery present a rotating cast of musicians and artists.

 

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has created two scents exclusively for Space15Twenty: Sweet Life, a luxurious blend of gardenia, pikaki, ylang ylang, and Casablanca lily, and Banshee Beat, a tousled, sexy mix of patchouli, vanilla, and hemp.

 

Wow....ok then....thanks for the info!! That is real cool to know!!! As always, I get very nice and helpful people here!!

 

Yep! That was back from when we had to send an email to the person running Space 15 Twenty and beg her to send up a bottle. Sometimes we'd hear back, other times not.. so if people got a hold of a bottle it was a lucky thing After it went to the main Urban Outfitters site it was way easier to get.

To my nose this is mostly similar to Inganok Jewelers, a blend I love. It's in the same family as Night's Bridge, and has some of the same spice as Minotaur, amazingly. I like it a lot, and I didn't get a chance to give it a proper test before the Yules are about to leave-- I have a lot of blends that are similar so I hope I'm ok holding off on this one!