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BPAL Madness!

Belladonnastrap

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Everything posted by Belladonnastrap

  1. Belladonnastrap

    King of Spades

    Long live the King. First sniff Much lighter then the Queen, I can smell coconuts, vanilla and a bit of wine. Very much reminds me of a man with a deep rumbling voice, black hair and beautiful eyes. Hah. When wet *slobbers all over herself* Oh this is beautiful. The blackberry and coconut have mated to have a wonderful vanilla child. Dark and seductive, I want to sort of roll around in the scent. Drydown Oh this mellows down to a wonderfully coconut vanilla berry scent thats slightly masculine and yet feminime as well. Its beautiful. Aftermath The King of Spades is AWESOME. Seriously. The combination of coconut and wine and vanilla is killer and the musk adds just the right touch. Its delish and so much better then the Queen.
  2. Belladonnastrap

    Mabon 2004

    YAY FOR FALL LE's! Mabon makes me a happy woman. First sniff Oooh it smells like...Fall. There's a bit o leaves, a bit o apple (actually more then a bit of apple...its making me crave cider) and something spicy too. I can't put my finger on it. When wet Well when I poured some on a bit TOO much came out so keep that in mind. Its like I'm drenched in Fall. The apple comes out so so well and the blackberry mingles with it wonderfully. I can barely get the spiced bits to come out. I really like it...very fall Drydown Mmm. The spices have come out to play! Still getting that very warm fall feeling but its much more mellow now. Aftermath Oh Mabon is LOVELY. Like a cup of warm apple cider I'll be cherishing this and using it up this fall.
  3. Belladonnastrap

    Dragon's Tears

    Dragon's Tears was a scent I'd been wanting to try for awhile and thanks to the generousity of the lab (yay freebies) I was able to do so. First sniff Very strong aquatic scent. I can't make out the Dragon's Blood at all, just an overflowing salty note. When wet Ah there is the Dragon's Blood. Odd when I had this on before there was no trace of it but I think the power of Perversion sort of canceled it out. The dragons blood and whatever aquatic notes (I think I can smell Juniper & Mint not sure though) really work well together. It tones down the salt and the bitterness. Drydown Ooh very subtle now. The aquatic scent outlasts the dragons blood but only by a smidge. It's a very light scent now, sort of the calm after the storm. Not as strong as it was before just a faint memory. Aftermath Dragon's Tears had me very skeptical in the beginning but its beautiful drydown and staying power have won me over. I don't know if its worth a bottle yet but I will most definitely use the imp up.
  4. Belladonnastrap

    Wildfire

    FIAAAAAAAAAAAH! I like saying that. First sniff Berry juniper soap. I know that seems like an odd first sniff but that is the best description I can give. A very clean smelling, a very berry juniper scent. When wet Yay Juniper! My body adores juniper (and I adore it on my body) and Wildfire literally *sings* with the scent. There's also a light undercurrant of the rose and none of the soapy feeling I got before. The Dragon's Blood gives it a bit of tang as well. Drydown GAH! THIS IS FLIPPING MARVELOUS! The rose had come out to play but currently it's being bitchslapped around by the one two combo of Dragon's Blood & Juniper. Oh this is lovely. Aftermath Wildfire reminds me of a more red version of Blue Moon. The Juniper + Dragon's Blood combo really makes this a winner. I'm glad I decided to stick through it past the inital soapy stage! It's a definite keeper.
  5. Belladonnastrap

    Queen of Spades

    Queen of Spades is really different from what I thought First sniff Very dark and rich floral and the blackberry completely and utterly stands out for me. It smells black When wet Oh this is juicy juicyjuicy! Drydown Mmm the amber and myrrh are coming out now and it's more subued and rich. The plum is hanging on as well. It smells a bit like Lughnasadh 's drydown on me but much more heady. The plum is very strong now and overall I get a very commanding feeling from it. Aftermath Well I like it. I'm not sure if its a MUST for me as the berry is a bit overwhelming and I'm not sure I'm completely digging the plum but I'm gonna continue with it. It's really different from what I was expecting though!
  6. Belladonnastrap

    Black Widow

    First sniff A really really dark floral wow. It's very commanding and sweet...maybe a darker Queen Mab. When wet Sweet and a bit blah actually...the rose and wine just don't mesh well for me for some reason. The addition of patchouli makes it a bit offputting as well which is odd since normally I love BPAL patchouli. It's also making me really uncomfortable for some reason. Drydown Ugh. This totally went bad and smells like stale garbage on me. Aftermath Up for swap, this is not for me.
  7. Belladonnastrap

    Oberon

    All hail the King of the Fae, Oberon! First sniff Mmm gentle lemons. This isn't the strong gagging mediciney lemon I got from June Gloom but a more gently wafting one. There's also something darker which I assume is the patchouli...but mm. This smells SO good. When wet Wow the orchid and juniper just burst out on me! My body chemistry really digs juniper I'm finding. It's very woodsy, very masculine and very yum. I can really see myself devouring a man who smelt like this. Hell I want to devour myself Drydown Rawr. Oberon continues its assault on my body and dries down into this wonderfully heady masculine scent that sort of makes me all when I think about how a guy might smell wearing it. Aftermath Oberon would smell LOVELY on a man. On me it's alright and while I plan on using the imp up I doubt I'd buy a bottle of it for me...maybe imps for when I wanted something comforting and mannish but not necessarily a man. However should I ever get a signfigant other I will be making sure they bathe in this regularly
  8. Belladonnastrap

    Absinthe

    I hope I fare better with the drink whenever I try it then with Absinthe the perfume. First sniff Minty! Very very minty and sort of bitter as well. It smells green and like something I have sniffed before but for the life of me...oh! I know! Belladonna! It smells a wee bit like a sweeter belladonna. When wet Wow I smell like a combination of a cough drop and stale hospital Drydown Okay cough drop smell is gone and its now a darkly bitter mint. After a couple of more hours it turns soapy and clean. Aftermath I seriously doubt I'll be buying a bottle of this as Absinthe is a bit too menthol and clean for my taste...I much prefer Belladonna. However I'm glad I got to try it and it might be a nice room scent for days when its very hot...it has a cooling sort of quality to it.
  9. I think it totally depends on the male... I've gotten the most positive responses out of O, Persephone and Undertow.
  10. Belladonnastrap

    Seraphim

    Seraphim actually smelled a lot like I imagined it would ...which is a first for me. First sniff Mmm incense and floral. This smells like Notre Dame smelled to me...very old, very beautiful and very mysterious. I love the lily and sandalwood combination. When wet The rose pops out now that I'm wearing it...I could barely smell it in the imp but on me it really stands out. I think my body chemistry loves roses. That and the calla lily are the most outstanding to me...I can barely smell the frankincense. Drydown This definitely reminds me oof something Angelic..it's softer now and the roses and lily barely pop out now. It's quite a warm scent. Aftermath I'm not sure if I like the way this smells on me but I think it would be lovely as a meditative room scent. I'll be using up the imp but I doubt I would ever buy a bottle of this.
  11. Belladonnastrap

    Queen Mab

    Queen Mab...I could have sworn I reviewed this but I suppose not! First sniff Mmm Juicy! Also I get a wiff of something darker and floral...I'm not sure if it's because it has been with the other imps but it also has that genricy bpal oil smell...teh one you get when all your imps have been together. When wet This is really complex. I smell the rose and then the jasmine and the black orchid is lurking there in the background. It makes me feel incrediably sexy yet playful at the same time. Drydown Sweetness...and why do I keep smelling something fruity? Aftermath This is a lovely captivating scent but it's just TOO sweet for me...I've gotten a bit of a headache. I think if you like your florals running toward the sweet side of things this is the scent for you.
  12. Belladonnastrap

    Daffodil

    When I was a child...every year we would go daffodil picking and buy bunches of the flowers. All of our money went to cancer research and I remember my house would smell like the plants for weeks at a time. This reminds me of that. First sniff Spring in a bottle. This is the scent of daffodils..what you would get if you strained them into an oil. When wet Ooo this is LOVELY. Very yellow which makes sense as the flower is yellow I love the way its very subtle and doesn't scream FLORAL. Drydown Pretty much the same as it is wet but maybe a bit more powdery. Aftermath This is a lovely lovely scent for spring and I imagine it would smell divine as a room scent as well. I don't think I'd buy more then an imp of it at a time though but its truly lovely and reminds me a lot of my childhood days...picking flowers with my friends and playing in the sun.
  13. Belladonnastrap

    Pele

    Ah Pele pele pele. Where did we go wrong? First sniff Lovely tropical scent...makes me wish I was on the beach at Waikiki with a flower in my hair enjoying a lovely cocktail. Very very summery. When wet A really really strong floral...very overpowering. I can smell the sun in it if that makes any sort of sense. Very sweet. Drydown Still very floraly and tropical but it sort of reminds me of the type of perfume my grandmother wears...which isn't really good at all. Aftermath Ah Pele...I wanted to like you. I really and truly did but alas you just don't do it for me. It's a lovely white floral but white florals and me don't seem to get along and this gave me a headache. Will be going up for swap
  14. Belladonnastrap

    June Gloom 2004

    Wahhhh June Gloom is the first LE that doesn't work out for me First sniff Wow this smells like Lysol lemon cleaner. Very lemony and antispectic on me When wet/Drydown Still getting the lysol vibe but its only stronger now and with a hint of bleach. Sorry. Aftermath I wanted to like this but unfortunately my body chemistry just does NOT work well with it and I've swapped it away to someone who will hopefully enjoy it much more then I did.
  15. Belladonnastrap

    Lughnasadh

    Lughnasadh is the first Sabbat oil I've actually worn and not smelled and I'm so so so glad I bought it. First sniff Mmm cherries. With a bit of a bite? Cherry is really the dominating note of this for me but there is a sense of something with a bit more bite as well. When wet I smell like a cough drop...one of the really tasty Luden's cough drops that I would eat a lot as a child. Still very cherry but now some spices are kicking in...it's going darker. I'm excited. Drydown Oh the cherry smellis now mixed in with woods and spices. It's very warm and *perfect* for this time of year when the bright airy scents should be put away and you need something a bit warmer yet not strong. I can really smell the cinnamon I believe this has and it doesn't burn me at ALL which is lovely because I was getting worried I wouldn't be able to have any fall scents. Lovely stuff, smells like lovely dark wine too. Aftermath Excellent staying power + beautiful scent = A WINNAR IS YOU. This is a lovely scent, perfect for this time of year when it's not *quite* autumn but summer is fast fading.
  16. Belladonnastrap

    How long do bottles & imps last?

    I have a bottle of Virgo that's about 90-85% full and I got it at the beginning of this year. I think it really depends if you slather the stuff on or not.
  17. Belladonnastrap

    Allergy Questions, Allergies and other reactions to oils

    Eclipse burned my skin and so did Three Witches & Hecate. I'm thinking it's almond based oils I have issues with...I can wear Hellcat just fine and have no problems with that.
  18. Belladonnastrap

    Spellbound

    Hello Spellbound how are you today? First sniff Did anyone else hum the Siouxsie and the Banshees song when they first sniffed this? Anyway I smell the roses and I smell the amber which is enough for me. I When wet Roses rose rose. I can't smell anything but...no musk and no amber. I'm bit a put out actually! Drydown Still roses and nothing but. It's a bit spicier then most rose scents I have but really too strong for me. Aftermath Yet another rose scent I wanted to love and didn't. It's way too strong for my normal body chemistry but as there's only a bit left in the imp I guess I'll use it for a room scent. If you love a really heady rose try Spellbound.
  19. Belladonnastrap

    Bayou

    Thanks to Diana I have an imp of this First sniff Well it smells like a green scent that's for sure! A bit minty as well but just overwhelmingly green When wet Oh wow...it's mossy! Which shouldn't surprise me as this is called Bayou afterall but whatever. I can smell a bit of lemon in this and juniper? Is that even in this? Drydown Erk. Hello Moss. Just pure moss with maybe a bit of lemon underneath. Aftermath Whelp I like Bayou but not enough ot get a 5ml. I'll be using up the imp though as I think it will have it's moments
  20. Belladonnastrap

    Black Rose

    I've had this imp of Black Rose for a while but I'm just now getting around to wearing it. Go figure...it's been on my wishlist too! First sniff I don't know whether it's because of the fact that it's been in the imp pile so long or if that's just the way it naturally is but Black Rose smells a bit like that generic bpal smell your imps get after awhile tinged with rose. I can't explain it. When wet A dirty rose. A really dirty corrupted twisted rose. It smells like a rose normally would but...there's something DARKER. Anime analogy alert! For those of you who have seen Shoujo Kakumei Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) this is what the Black Roses would smell like...Mikage and whathisface. Mamiya I think? Something like that. Yeah it's definitely a corrupted rose...it's very strong and heady as well. The musk pops out a bit as well. Drydown Glad I didn't let the inital sniff wear me down because this turned into something else entirely. A very melancholy rose now...the musk is non existant but the amber is hanging on...my body does so love amber. It's so subtle now I get the barest whiff of it. Aftermath I'm really glad I stuck with this even though I wanted to wash it off as soon as I put it on. I seriously doubt I'll ever buy a 5 ml of it but I will definitely use up the imp as it's a good scent for when I get into one of my moods.
  21. Belladonnastrap

    Red Moon 2004

    Red Moon...I love you. Simple as that. First sniff Oh the Dragon's Blood just pops out at me going "You will love me! Yes you will!" and I hope it's truthful. It's a bit floraly and a bit spicy...and a tinge sweet. I really and truly love it so far. It's very girly. When wet This smells like a mixture of O and Unseelie on me. Fruity and decadent and floral and with just a bite of spice. Absolutely wonderful and I can't stop sniffing myself. Drydown Hello amber and orange, it's nice to meet you. More juicy then what I orginially thought Red Moon turns into this subtle warm fragrance that has MAMMOTH staying power. It's lovely...very very girly and red. Aftermath Oh the staying power of this combined with the lovely scent make it a 100% keeper!
  22. Belladonnastrap

    Where is this scent?

    You know that's a really good idea! It could be Jailbait !
  23. Belladonnastrap

    The Caterpillar

    Thanks to the lovely fairywingmaker I have a decanted imp of The Caterpillar which makes me very very happy First sniff Heady...very heady. It smells like an incense shop covered with flowers. Actually I don't know how many of you are into manga/anime but if you've heard of the series Petshop of Horrors this is what I imagine Count D would smell like. Which is very fitting. When wet I've smelled this before...Oh yeah! THis smells exactly what a bag of incense smells like when you lump in a bunch of different kinds together. Drydown Much less incensey now, it's a very subtle heady scent....comforting and a bit numbing actually. Very sweet as well. Aftermath While the first sniff and inital wetness put me off a bit I really loved the drydown for this and so the caterpillar gets a thumbs up. I'm not quite sure if I'll ever buy a full bottle of it but I'll most definitely use up the imp!
  24. Belladonnastrap

    The Unicorn

    Thanks to swapping I've gotten a decanted imp of The Unicorn and I'm glad I did First sniff Wow this is very sweet and a bit heady as well. I've never smelled Linden Blossoms before but I assume the heady bit are the herbs. It's very different from anything I've smelt from BPAL so far. When wet Absolutely lovely! Very sweet and almost ethereal I want to say. I have to concentrate to really pick up the different notes but when I do it's very ethereal and very much on the edge of my scent vision if that makes any sort of sense? Drydown Very much like the Unicorn itself this scent turned extremely elusive and faint on me. It doesn't last very long alas () but the nature of it pretty much stayed the same as when it was wet...except maybe a fruiter. Aftermath I'm so happy I recieved this in a swap ( fairywingmaker) as it's a scent I had been wanting to try for ages. I'll be buying a bottle of it but further down the line as it's not a MUST GET for me. My only real issue with it is that I wish it stayed on longer!
  25. Belladonnastrap

    Akuma

    Yay it's Akuma...a scent I never would have picked on my own. Whoohoo. First sniff Very strong and devilish. The orange jumps out at me along with someething darker, maybe the neroli? It's almost TOO strong and a bit offputting acutally but there's something that draws me as well. When wet Wet this becomes Raspberry heaven on me. Nothing but raspberry, can't smell the orange, can't smell the neroli jsut overpowering raspberry. It's very sweet but very strong as well. Drydown Raspberry, raspberry and more raspberry. But now it's not as strong and a bit lovely actually. Still very very sweet. Pretty good staying power as I put this on early early this morning and it's now 8 hours later and I can smell it still. Aftermath I'm not sure what to think about Akuma. I was ready to write it off on first sniff but it was sly and changed its nature on me. I think I will use up the imp as it will be a nice scent for the coming colder months but I doubt I'd get a 5 ml of this.
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