Belladonnastrap

*sniff*

 

First Sniff

It smells like Andes mints! And something a bit darker. Hmmm.

 

Wet

Mint mint mint mint mint. I get no coconut, nothing else but pure mint. Imagine Spooky doused with the power of an entire mint factory. That's Eleggua.

 

Drydown

WTF? NOO~! This has turned into burnt plastic on me! NOOOOO! It now smells like my kitchen does after I've depoted eyeshadows

 

Aftermath

I wanted to love you. I did. But you failed me Eleugga and now you go up for sale

First Sniff

Oooh! Dammit I've smelled this before but I can't remember where. It smells like spices and tea, a wonderfully poigant mixture. It makes me think of far off lands and places.

 

Wet

This might be the first scent that smells the same on me as it does in the vial. Odd. There's some sweetness here but I ...OH! I know what this smells like now! The old dorm room of a friend from college He was a huge pothead and I'd go over to his room to watch anime and see him stoned out of his mind. Silk Road smells like that ahahahaha. That sort of warm languidy smell.

 

Drydown

Still headshop, but more incense comes out then anything and that for me is a huge letdown as I HATE incense smells

 

Aftermath

Well I was hoping the flowers and herbs would be more prominant on me then the oils but alas, Silk Road and I aren't meant to be.

First Sniff

Stopping by the woods on a wet evening.

 

Wet

..holy crap. It's like Belladonna's more ethereal but still deadly sister!! Mint and forests and something sweet...oooh. I can't stop sniffing myself. If Belladonna is more heady and suited for the colder months then Nocnitsa is definitely for spring and summer, it's the same mood but lighter. Wow.

Drydown

Oh my. This is my new favourite forest scent. It's light and sporty and very fae yet there's a menancing vibe underneath it. It doesn't drastically change from the wet stage just becomes more solid and long lasting.

 

Aftermath

This is a MUST OWN for me. A bottle of this will be in my May lunar order!

First Sniff

Ever read Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches series (not the crap ones like Blackwood Farm & Blook Canticle but the orginial three) and they're talking about how they were in the carribbean orginially and having sex with each other? Santo Domingo smells like what I imagine the carribbean would smell after a good long screw.

 

Wet

"But where's th' rum?" RIGHT HERE. ITS RIGHT HERE! Rum and Leather and fire. Whoa. This is a very evocative, manly sort of scent!!

 

Drydown

Ah the rum has toned down and now the blossoms have come out to play. Wow. This is fab...I imagine it would be FAB in the coming warmer months for a night out. More of a hedonisitic version of F54/Perversion

 

Aftermath

Not entirely sure if I'm gonna buy a bottle of it as I need to test the imp more but this is a WONDERFUL summer scent I feel and very very evocative of the town.

First Sniff

Mint and something boozy, aka A Mint Julep!!

 

Wet

Andes mints drenched in booze and spices. The mint is pronounced but the alcohol is more pronounced, I swear my body just LOVES the booze!

 

Drydown

Huh. Amber? WTF? THERES NO AMBER IN MINT JULEPS!! Any sort of mint is completely gone and replaced by a strong alcohol smell and something that smells like burnt

 

 

Aftermath

Whelp as a perfume it's a bust (burnt amber and booze make my head hurt) but as a room scent, this is FABBBBBBBB!

First Sniff

Mmm gentle honey,spices and something more...I can't place my finger on it, it's whatever the note is in O and Le Petit Mort that makes lower parts of my body clench in rememberance...yay for TMI! It smells red.

 

Wet

Mmmmmmmmm. This is nice. A bit heady and more spicy then I like (I normally steer clear of the overtly spicy scents) but it's nice. A little dab of this definitely goes a long way! Mmm.

 

Drydown

Hm. This has turned into a spicy floral. The only scent I would say this *vaguely* smells like is maybe Morocco but the warmth is different. It also vaugely reminds me of CK One oddly enough. I like it, it's heady without giving me a headache. Lasts pretty well too, I put it on at 10am and it's almost 12 hours later and still going strong.

 

Aftermath

Normally I'm not a fan of the spicy floral (I like either one or the other, not both) but The Living Flame is a great exeception. Heady without being cloying, seductive without being overbearing. Another great scent Plus the label's fab.

First Sniff

Amber and some flower that makes me think of generic soap.

 

Wet

Oooh nice amber and...something else. It also vaugely reminds me of soap

 

Drydown

WAHHHHHHHHHHHH SOAP! BORING OLD SOAP! Not even yummy amber soap but just blah soap!! NOOOOO.

 

Brisingamen I wanted to like you so so much. SO much. Alas, I think you will be going up for swap

First Sniff

Buttery cream and white flowers and lace! It also made my stomach turn a wee bit. It's that buttery note that's so previlant in Gluttony & Harvest Moon 04 but more creamy if that makes any sense.

 

Wet

Oh! Oh! Oh! ITS A BUTTERY BLUE MOON *melts into happy puddle* I smell the "tradtional lunar flowers" that I can sniff in all the lunar oils (and I've tried them all) but this one has that extra buttery note so its creaaaamy. Imagine a dream realm where the sky is shades of purple & blue and the moon is huge. It's a starless night so the light shines down on the white flowers below making them shine with a warm brilliance. That's what Chaste Moon smells like wet

 

Drydown

Mmmm butterific! The smell mellows down a bit more so the tradtional lunar oils come out but that hint of butteryness is still there, keeping the scent together. Still smells the same as it is wet so that's nice.

 

Aftermath

Wow this might be my second favourite lunar blend after Blue Moon! I'm a bit sad I didn't get another bottle of it but I'll definitely be cherishing my 5ml!

First Sniff

Perfumey. I can't believe I'm about to say this but I get that generic perfumey scent I smell when I walk into Macy's perfume area. All of those scents mashed into one...although I can pick out some herbs. It reminds me of Anais-Anais if any of you have smelt that old school perfume.

 

Wet

Ooo. It smells like what I think mystical Ireland would smell like...a sort of fae, very green scent. Still getting that perfumey headshop scent though which worries me a bit.

 

Drydown

Mmm, the perfumeness is gone now and it's a lovely green herby scent. It reminds me of a more tamer version of Belladonna, whatever it is that gives that particular scent it's headyness isn't here in Leanan Sidhe but in it's place is something more wistful, like a memory. It lasts pretty long too, I put this on around 8 o'clock at night and when I woke up in the morning I still could smell it a bit.

Aftermath

I was a bit hesitant with this blend because it really smells like generic stuff but once you put it on the whole atmosphere changes and that lovely BPAL-ness comes through. This would be a great scent to try to coax more people into trying the oils, it can remind you of the commercial scents but still has Beth's wonderful touch.

I spots a bottle of Brisingamen!

On further information I found the following:

Hod is the eight sphere. Its title, Glory, may seem puzzling since it is the part of the human consciousness which is creative and inventive, depicting the energy matrix of the physical universe. In short Hod is science in all of its manifestations.

The eighth emanation on the Tree of Life. Hod is associated with the planet Mercury and represents intellect and rational thought. It also represents the structuring and measuring capacities of the mind as opposed to the emotion and intuitional aspects of Netzach.

Taken from here

First Sniff: It smells like a milkier version of O!

Wet: *thud* Amber, Rose and Honey. There's a wee bit of almond in there as well which makes me hesitate because even though I adore the smell of almond it has an absolutely HORRID reaction to my skin. Nothing bad though but there *is* a slight tingle so I'm pretty sure there's some almond in this.

Drydown: Imagine O and Le Petit Mort getting together and producing offspring. That would be Hod. The almond has mellowed down into almost the barest whiff (thank the GODS that means I can wear this) but the amber and honey are still hanging in. This also reminds me a bit of Dana O'Shee as well, it has that lovely milkiness.

Staying power: Holy cow Hod LASTS. 4 hours later and it's just as sweet and amberrosehoney smelling as it was when I first put it on. It's also lasted through 3 rounds of washing dishes, 2 handwashes and a healthy dosage of bleach since I cleaned up earlier. All in all it's a wonderful scent and fans of Dana O'Shee, Alice, O, Le Petit Mort & others like it should definitely seek it out! It's like the bastard child of all of those.

Gonna have to save the pennies for a big one of this.

(Edited to add staying power)

Do you guys remember when Times Square here in New York City wasn't quite so wholesome? When a regular sight was hookers on the corner, dirty old men leering and seedy porn theaters? Forumla 54 invokes that. It's such a SEEDY sort of scent, I think its the combination of tobacco and flowers. There's a sense of debauched innocence in it.

 

At first sniff all I could smell was the tobacco flower which really put me off as I'm not particularly fond of smelling like a cigarette. Once the oil hits my skin I get..cherries. Cherries and booze and cigarettes...which basically means I smelled like Humbert Humbert's car after he and Lolita got busy.

 

On drydown any sort of sweetness disappears and I get a strong, almost sicking tobacco scent and nothing else. It's been proven that I have bizzare body chemistry so maybe that's it. Needless to say Forumla 54 isn't my bag.

 

If you like most of Beth's "darker" blends (ie Wanda, Hellfire, Perversion) give this a try if you can find it

Somnus smells like a more potent, deeper version of Oneiroi which makes sense. There's lavender and I think some mugwort but overall I'd say Somnus is a deeper, more heady Oneiroi. This isn't a scent I'd wear everyday as just a wiff of it makes me sleepy. I also find that if I put a dab of this on my wrists and behind my ears when I fall asleep it's very calm and peaceful, if I'm stressed out all the stress just melts away.

 

Eventually I will have to buy a bottle of this because my imp is going to run out. If you're torn between this and Oneiroi I'd say look to see how deeply you sleep. If you only need help falling asleep sometimes grab Oneiroi. However if your mind just constantly functions and you find yourself waking up frequently grab a bottle of Somnus, slather it on and head off to the stars with Winkin, Blinkin & Nod.

Initially I had held off on buying Dorian because the fact it seemed male-centric bothered me but Diana said "No you must try it!" and I bought a bottle of it unsniffed. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad I did.

 

In the bottle at first it smells like a very strong lemon tea but after about 5 mintues it mselts into this lovely warm vanilla sugar tea scent with a tinge of something darker. It's absolutely incrediable. It's a lot like Snake Oil's older, more sexual and delicious brother. After hour 3 the scent mellowed and the tea came back stronger then before but that wonderfully warm vanilla was still there, beckoning one to come closer.

 

It's absolutely DIVINE and definitely not gender-specific. I must get a 10ml of this, much like Nosferatu (and I suspect Persephone) I can't be without.

To me Wolf Moon smells a lot like Cold Moon's more feral older brother. There's the definite moon oils that links it to all the other lunar oils but there's also something more deeper, definitely making this more male then any of the other Moon's so far (and I've bought them all). It's also more clean smelling, the scent reminds me a lot of Yankee Candle's Clean Cotton tart, in fact they're almost interchangable.

 

I really like this. It's more DEEP then any of the previous moons and very much invoking the whole Wolf Moon aspect.

As for wanting to know what's in the stuff....why is this SUCH a bad thing? I have a close friend who is deathly allergic to Camomille (did I spell that right?). Does this mean she can't wear any sort of perfume oil? No. Just means she has to be extra extra careful, I know when the two of us shop together we're constantly looking at the ingrediants list to make sure that there's nothing in there that will have her dead on the floor.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't think it's a bad thing, but I also don't think one can expect a fragrance company to list all of the oils their blends contain on their public website. It's not fair to the artisans who create the oils. I also don't think it's fair to request an entire list of oils in a particular blend for the same reason: the internet is a shady place and shady people might try to copycat their blends. There is no way you could call Chanel and ask them what exactly is in No. 5, they would never tell you. I think it's totally w/in the spirit of fairness to contact a company and say "I'm allergic to A, B, and C, I'm interested in fragrances D, E, and F. Can I safely wear these oils or do they in any way contain the allergens?" That way, you're just watching out for your health and it doesn't sound like you're fishing for a formula or out to make a dupe.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Okay yeah I totally agree too. It just seemed to me that people were slamming Marty for wanting to make sure she's not allergic to whatever's in them.

To have a severe reaction that could cause death as you suggest would put me off perfumes. Honestly, death or smells? It's not that much of a choice. In regards to the other things mentioned regarding deathly allergies, you know, you just HAVE to be proactive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I don't think Marty isn't being proactive, I mean she said she emailed the Lab and is waiting for a response. Remember, not everyone knows that they happen to have a really shitty server at times.

 

As for wanting to know what's in the stuff....why is this SUCH a bad thing? I have a close friend who is deathly allergic to Camomille (did I spell that right?). Does this mean she can't wear any sort of perfume oil? No. Just means she has to be extra extra careful, I know when the two of us shop together we're constantly looking at the ingrediants list to make sure that there's nothing in there that will have her dead on the floor.

Here's a good picture of a 5ml bottle. Where it's blurred is where the name of the oil would be.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

What is the diameter of the bottles for the 5ml? Is it the same for 10ml?

 

I noticed in some peoples photographs in the storage thread, blue bottles with a fancy lid, and what looked like tags made of sealing wax. Are these special edition scents, a certain line of scents, or an old-style bottle? I found them to be very pretty.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I believe that the diameter of the bottles for the 5ml & 10ml are the same but I don't have a ruler handy sorry

 

 

As for the sealed tag bottles...back in...I think maybe July Beth made a special blend called Formula 54. It was available to forum members only and only 54 bottles were made because the components were uber expensive. The price was ...I think $42US and they came in those special bottles with a fancy lid & sealing wax. They were 5mls.

This smells like a lovely almond soaked flower but it turned my skin into a flaming effgy of pink and burned so I didn't get a chance to try it as much as I did. It smells VERY almondy and musky though, very dark. It's quite strong in the vial but alas not for me.

Pumpkin King for me is more of an autumn scent then Samhain is. While the note of leaves is still there the mix of butter drenched pumpkin with a sprinkle of cinnamon almost makes the leafy scent non existant. It pops up only waaay after the scent is dried on me, to ground it and make it less foody and more rich.

 

The base is still very very creamy, its a much more subdued version of Harvest Moon, maybe an autumn version of Gluttony. Absolutely delish...if you like the autumn notes of Samhain and love Harvest Moon but wished it wasn't quite so buttery this is the one to hunt down. It takes the best of both and meshes them together into a yummy pumpkin goodness.

 

 

And I just remembered that sihaya09 said that this smelt like Pumpkin Cheesecake and you know, she's absolutely right.

I LOVE MULTIPLE QUOTING

 

A question along these lines...

 

How does one know in advance which L.E.'s will be out...?  I know the calendar shows the Lunacy blends...

 

But the others...?

 

Thanks...and sorry if it's a silly question...I'm new! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

There are no silly questions here! Well no there are but the number is very few especially for new people here The short answer to your question is this: We don't. Beth & the lab sometimes tell us what's coming up (ie the Lunacy blends) and others are guesstimates. We assume there will be an Imbolc/Beltane etc scent because there were scents for all the other holidays starting with Lammas. Just makes more sense but we have been known to be proven wrong!

 

 

I'm wondering if there will be a Valentine's Day LE this year. If there is, it should be coming live right about NOW.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was curious about this too but with Beth-tachi holed up with the flu I doubt it. It would be badass though! Like I'd want a scent that was a lot like O but instead of smelling like sex I'd want it to BE sex. Although Le Petit Mort did that for me...go go TMI.

 

Besides I've already decided to make most of the boys (and a couple of the girls!) here my own personal valentine and if they don't like YOU CAN PH34R MY m0D SK1IIZ!!

 

 

 

 

When I first discovered BPAL, it seemed like the LE moon scents when live one month before the full moon they were named after so they could be worn FOR that moon. So we could wear Wolf Moon on the 25th of this month, for example. But with how far back-logged the lab is...I mean, people are still waiting for Cold Moon....

 

One wonders if the Lab has considered upping the amount of time from order to ship?

 

Or, more likely, am I misunderstanding the purpose of some of the special event blends entirely?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I'm not the Lab so I can't speak for them but my understanding is that they're made for a special event, the fact that they smell fantabulous is just an aside I know for some of us happy pagan types we tend to use the lunacy blends (or at least I do) in my rituals for that moon because the properties correspond with whats IN the oils. Same goes for the Sabbat. Sometimes that's not always doable (ie I'm probably not gonna get Cold Moon in time for the moon itself) but in those cases I either 1)Just wear the oil as a perfume or 2)Use it for another ritual, adjusting it to what properties I think go best with it. I believe that when the Lunacy Blends were insitutued the lab didn't expect the customer base to sort of implode like it has.

 

 

That's my thinking. And holy crap I have time to actually BROWSE the boards. I need a hug, a cookie and some wuv! *wiggles her bum in happiness*

Thunderbird is everything I wanted Storm to be. An absolutely wonderful clean scent with a hint of menace to it, it's the sort of scent that would jolt you out of a state of shock. I don't think it's a gender specific scent, I wore it (well slathered it on, this scent makes me a slather!) and it turned into a lovely spring sort of scent. The hint of ozone pushes a wee bit on the edge of naughty. Brilliant. Try this is Zephyr was a bit too light for you and Storm too lemony

I'm not getting any of the iris that others have mentioned but I HAVE gotten a bunch of juicy berries and amber that definitely make this a keeper for me. It smells like a more playful version of my dearly departed Carnivale which makes sense. Carnivale had that whole hedionitisc thing going on. It's definitely more lighter then that though. The amber really holds it all together in this sort of golden red haze. Very lovely and a bigger bottle is on tap

A very lovely and sweet lily and sandalwood scent however the sandalwood turns the scent into a bit headshoppy for me. Its a very nice floral but if you're not a fan of lily you may not like it. I get NO vanilla at all as I wear this....it actually reminds me of a stronger more potent version of Queen of Hearts

Forgoing my normal review format.

 

Perversion is really very much like Hellfire's saucier, more womanly sister...or fellow dominant. There are tobacco and leather notes that pop up in my skin but there's also some coconut that prevents the scent from being too "male" and softens it up. It's a scent to be worn when seducing (or being seduced!) and going out to club.

 

I'm so so so thankful for my bottle as this is most definitely my going out staple. If you like deep, heady and very very sexy scents with just a tinge of maleness do give Perversion a try.