hlemonds

As I was hoping, the way that the orchid and musk play together reminds me of some of my favorite blends. I do agree that the musk is a close relative of red musk. Upon initial application this reminds me of some of my favorite red musk blends, Scherezade, The Grindhouse, Marianne, and Mircalla (minus the clove, of course). I think that the orchid and musk are the most predominant notes on my skin just after application. Other reviews don't mention the orchid note, maybe I amp it? Which is fine by me, since any blends I've encountered it in I've really enjoyed it, so it's totally fine by me. On me this has substantial throw, I applied it with a very light hand, and I can smell it quite well on my wrists down by the keyboard. Honestly I've found that to be the case with all the courtesans I've tried, excellent throw and very good longevity. I'm happy to note that I get zero caramel on my skin. Overall this is a lovely blend on me. A warm, mildly sweet, *almost* red musk, blending beautifully with the black orchid note, and all the other notes simply add complexity, but don't overwhelm that delicious musk. She's a keeper! Don't know if I'll need to hoard, since she is plenty strong on me, so a little goes a long way. So far I think Virginia is my favorite of the courtesans.

I love Celeste! I am a huge fan of vanilla musk scents, orchid and orris are usually quite nice on me, and saffron is the sort of note that isn't really make-or-break in a scent for me. The vanilla (in combination with an unlisted musk note?) reminds me a little bit of several things....XCDL13, Antique Lace, Joyful Moon, Gypsy. But it is not identical to any of those. Celeste is her own woman! I really enjoy the orris and vanilla musk combination in this. I can see where folks get vanilla cotton candy, although I don't find it to be overly sweet on my skin. This really is wonderful. This blend is also long lasting and has great throw. So far I am amazed by how successful the courtesans are for me!

Nom, nom, nom. Please excuse me while I snuggle myself. I'm a wierdo in that most scents that other folks find "sexy" I find more comfortable and warm. Still absolutely wonderful, but for some reason my brain just doesn't hop on the sexy train. At first the spice aspect (which to my nose is like a cinnamon-clove kind of note. it doesn't smell at all like the cardomom in Gypsy, but that could have more to do with the note combination) is predominant, sweetened by bourbon. Once it begins to dry a gorgeous patchouli note comes out, a lovely woodsy patchouli, maybe even a tiny bit smoky on my skin? But that could be coming from one of the other notes. Wet, and in the early drydown, this reminds me of well aged Sin, but that comparison doesn't really hold once dry. The leather note in this is one of the varieties that works well on me, ie it isn't at all masculine or overwhelming. It remains very much in the background, providing a very soft, fuzzy sweetness. Overall this is just wonderful, and certainly multiple bottle worthy. I can not wait to see what age does with it!

Gorgeous! I think the smoky honey musk, golden amber, tobacco, and rose are predominant on me. This is a beautifully warm and inviting scent. Normally I am very afraid of rose, but this rose note is wonderfully wearable on me. I'm beginning to think that rose is not always my enemy, perhaps it's just the type of rose I first encountered in Persephone and Whip. Thankfully this is NOT a mess of amping rose nastiness on me like those two were. This is more reminiscent of a vase full of the most espensive, wonderfully scented roses sitting on a woman's dressing table. The room is warmed by a summer breeze. Her dressing table is topped with bottles of expensive and exotic perfumes, the entire room tinged with amber, sandalwood,and a hint of vanilla sweetness. This one has amazing throw, and a little goes a very long way. I definitely think this is the sort of scent that another person, upon noticing it wafting from your skin, might come closer and sniff deeply, and wonder what gorgeous perfume you're wearing.

I haven't sniffed Bronze Goddess myself, but I am almost certain I recall someone (maybe Invidiana??) comparing Paduan Killer Swarm to Bronze Goddess. Maybe she'll speak up here

When this is wet on my skin I get a nice zing of ginger and pepper combined with leather and beeswax. Once dry I get a good dose of beeswax, the warm fuzziness of the vanilla-amber, the ginger and pepper have receded into the rest of the blend, and the tonka adds a sweet creaminess. I like this one very much and I think it is only going to improve with age. I have a feeling that the vanilla-amber and tonka will really strengthen and come into their own after a few months. This will most likely warrant a back-up bottle

A simple, soft, clean scent. I like this very much. Something in the combination of elements reminds me a bit of Thoos (the white musk I'm sure) and Okayaki (maybe the vanilla bean and musk are reminding me of the wonderful amber in Okayaki...). The rice wine note lends a soft fruity quality, somewhat akin to a pale grape crossed with a soft citrus? This is a very close-to-the-skin scent, not a lot of throw. I'm okay with that though, since that will make it a very nice alternative in warm weather when I can't tolerate some of my heavier blends.

I like this one very much! The warm beeswax and soft Egyptian Musk combine to form a base that reminds me of Lights of Mens' Lives. The violet is very strong upon initial application, but smoothes out and blends into the beeswax/musk once dry. I think I can detect a hint of the copal giving this a nice resinous feel, but I'm not able to pick out any of the other notes independently. I think this will make a really great spring blend, it has a nice fresh feel, and the floral is soft enough once dry that I find it quite enjoyable.

This is such a nifty tool! I did notice a few scents missing when I tried looking them up to add them (namely The Arabian Dance, Pink Champagne, and Champagne and Party Hats) but they're all recent scents so I imagine you just haven't gotten to them yet. Thanks so much for all your hard work in making such an awesome tool!

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. This is THE leather I've been looking for. Warm and soft, a tiny hint of sweetness. This is the wonderful scent of snuggling up to someone (man or woman, this is very unisex) wearing a very well worn, supple suede coat that has THEIR scent infused into it. You have your face nuzzled into that perfectly warm leather, and it smells like home. Seriously. This is so well blended that no one note stands out, but they're all there. I think the sweetness may be from the tobacco, since tobacco tends to lean towards sweet on me. Or perhaps it's from the hazlenut and/or coffee. The spices are there, but I can't define exactly what spices they are, only that they are gloriously warm and welcoming. Bottom line: If you are scared of chemical leather, please try this, because it isn't the chemically leather note. If you are scared of coffee, please try this, because the coffee is not at all "in your face". If you are scared of any part of this blend, please still at least try it, because I think no one should miss smelling this. It makes me think of everything that is good, and warm, and snuggly in the world. Also...I am a freak. Things most people tend to consider sexy generally fall in the category of comforting for me. So wear this with caution! Many folks may find this incredibly hump worthy.

I love this! My hubby loves it on me! He kept trying to nom my neck last night. Wet: I can smell what people are talking about with the watermelon jolly rancher association, but thankfully that isn't how my nose is interpreting it. I detest fake watermelon candy type smells, and this doesn't come across that way to my nose. Thank the lord. It is kind of sweet tart while wet, but as it dries the vanilla and amber musk make themselves known. Early drydown: Lovely sweet-tart plums and I think the apricot might be what is adding the tart element. The tart edge with the sweet plums may be what is being interpreted by a lot of folks as watermelon. On me I can definitely tell it's sweet, candied plums, I'm so glad my brain isn't making the watermelon association! Full Drydown: Wonderful! Need moar bottles! Candied sweet fruit over a base of lovely vanilla tinged amber musk. I don't really get a lot of floral (again, thankful for that). I think the floral may be helping keep the candied sweetness in check so that it doesn't become too much. I love this! It's a win for me!

Mother Ginger is delectable! In the bottle and wet I get a refreshing pop of lemon-y, zingy ginger. Quite quickly the bright, lemon-y ginger settles into the creamy vanilla base and gains an almost incense-like quality. This is a ginger perfume for those who don't necessarily want to smell like gingerbread or ginger cookies, this isn't a baked-goods sort of ginger scent. It is a warm, sweet, and creamy ginger with a hint of incense quality. I really, really like this one!

Okay, this is not what I expected at all, but I still enjoy it very much. The really wierd thing is that this blend reminds me a LOT of Angel. It isn't a dead on match, but it very much reminds me of Angel. Primarily I get the white musk, white amber, and a hint of vanilla, with the fresh and slightly green florals wafting over top. This is, to me, a very high-end scent. White Musk and white amber are probably giving this the perfumey quality it has on my skin. I think this would be a wonderful scent for someone who hasn't tried BPAL before. If I had to chose one word to describe this scent it would be sophisticated. ETA: I had to come back and correct myself. I was incorrect about which of my old fumes this reminds me of....It's not Angel, it's Chance by Chanel. Makes a heck of a lot more sense, considering that it does appear to share some notes with Chance, while it had nothing in common with Angel at all. It doesn't have the sharp pepper note that Chance has at the beginning, I think it's the way the musk, vanilla, and amber combine with the zdravetz that reminds me of Chance. Later in the drydown, when mostly only the musk and a tiny bit of vanilla and amber remain, it doesn't remind me as strongly of Chance. Either way, this is a definite keeper for me. Hubby commented how much he liked it!

Hmmm....I love the red musk and root beer, but I'm not so sure about the popcorn. I do get a hint of smokiness, which is nice, but the salty popcorn is a little wierd on my skin. Not sure I need both bottles, but I'll give it some time to settle and see how things turn out.

My first suggestions would be Midnight Kiss and Countess Willie. Aside from that, as someone else also suggested, layering might be a good option. The Infernal Lover layered with Black Temple Burlesque Troupe is wonderful. And if you have any 13 blends that are chocolate heavy they'd probably be yummy layered with The Infernal Lover.

Grrr....trying this again. Just typed out my whole review and the forum fritzed and it didn't post. In a nut shell, I have discovered that, unfortunately, star anise is a deal breaker note for me. I'm discovering via this scent and my previous experience with Pink Mood that I amp star anise and I just can't tolerate the results. Granted, this scent is nowhere near as in-you-face anise as Pink Mood, which was all anise all the time on my skin. The anise here is more subtle, and for someone who doesn't amp this note, it will likely be a gorgeous blend. But...yeah, not so much on me. The anise stomps all over everything except the Pom, and maybe the red musk. And the result just isn't for me. I haven't decided yet if I want to give it time and see if things will balance with age. I really think this is more of a skin chemistry issue. My guess is that this one will end up in my swap/sales post.

When I first tested this yesterday, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. All I got was flat red musk that just smelled sort of powdery and off. I am pleased to note that it has already improved after a night at room temperature. I should've know better than to test it straight out of the hot mailbox. I'm still not getting any honey or "creaminess", but it is a very nice, slightly sweetened red musk. This ends up smelling very traditional on me, a very old-fashioned, nostalgic sort of scent. Which makes sense, considering it is inspired by Gothic Literature. I had hoped for more honey/creaminess, and perhaps that will present itself with age. My overall impression is that this is nice, and will probably be awesome for layering when I want to add a red musk note to something. However,I don't think I need my back-up bottle, one should be enough. This is very potent on my skin, I really only need a tiny drop or two to get good throw, and it seems to last well. ETA: I had to come back and edit this review after this scent rested for a couple of weeks. I was sooooo wrong about this one. Initially it was very "meh". All I got was a lightly powdery red musk, which I though would be great for layering, but not really unique enough to hoard. Well. Imagine my chagrin when I finally got it out again and I was blown away by the deliciousness. I should've known better than to sell the back-up bottle, because I ended up having to swap to replace it. What a doofus. Basically, after a couple of weeks, the cream and honey aspects are both present now, and it is utterly f-ing gorgeous. Is it still a simple scent? Definitely, but now, rather than being boring due to simplicity, it has blossomed into something beautiful. My husband loves it. I feel much more confident and womanly when I wear it. And yesterday at Toys R Us the cashier complimented me on it. I'm sold. Now the only question is, how much to hoard?

Dude... I've been waffling on keeping my Paduan for the same reason. I was all "OMG" over it at first, but once I got a bottle, I just never want to put it on. We are quite the pair, lol It does seems so. I hope I actually wear Tiki Princess. And I, on the other hand, am the adoptive parent of all the unloved Paduan, lol.

Only recently discovered my love of coconut, so I only have a few recommendations, but maybe they'll help Obatala....a very unisex, clean sort of coconut. I think it's the water and shea that make it more unisex than feminine. Very nice! Tiki Princess...a lovely, youthful, feminine coconut blend. A very refreshing, clean coconut. The soft white florals are what make this more feminine. Goblin is yummy, and as others have said, it is a "darker" take on coconut. Paper Kite (from the metamorphosis series) is all coconut on me once it dries down. Be warned, the black pepper is quite zesty while wet. And if you amp black pepper or have trouble with it causing a reaction on your skin, this one isn't for you. Paduan Killer Swarm...this is in my top ten of BPAL fragrances. Probably even top 5. The coconut is subtle and dry, not overly sweet or creamy. The sweet creaminess in this blend comes from the ginger cream note and the tonka. I love this blend. It is thick, rich, and soooo friggin sexy, without being too heavy. I've gone through 1.5 bottles. I have 4 on hand now, plus one more on the way. Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds was straight up rose on me. So if you amp rose, you may want to steer clear.

Found out when my lab order arrived on Saturday that Tombeur has two labels. I already had the bottle that Venneh posted a pic of (female vamp between two guys). The bottle that arrived one Saturday features a female "victim" and male vamp. I like both labels

Oh, my, this is WONDERFUL! First thing out of the bottle I get the gorgeous French Vanilla. Once applied I can sniff the musk and honeysuckle, plus maybe the tiniest hint of rose tempering the sweetness. Primarily this is vanilla white musk with very gentle florals. Enough floral to add interest and complexity without trampling all over the sweet, smooth, feminine base. This is one of the few BPAL that I sniff and immediately think "feminine". It is feminine, and lighthearted, without being "girly" (for lack of a better word). There is definitely a Joyful quality to this scent, and I really, really like it! POssibly the best lunacy so far for me (in just over a year of collecting, and I have tried a few older lunacy blends). But I love vanilla, honeysuckle, and pretty much any musk note, so there you go For those concerned about the rose, you may not need to be. I seem to amp most BPAL rose notes, particularly any red rose. This one, however, I can only barely detect. I have to sniff really hard to get any rose at all. Once dry I am primarily getting the frangipani and honeysuckle over the vanilla and white musk. The throw is mostly vanilla, with a brush of the other notes.

Straight out of the mailbox to skin testing. Why on earth am I getting a heavy dose of the Champaca from Panther Moon? It isn't in the listed notes, but damned if that isn't what I'm smelling. After about half-an-hour the champaca recedes into the blend and now I can smell a bit of the vanilla-sandalwood as well as a warm current of Snake Oil underneath. Completely dry I find this to be a wonderfully warm and inviting scent. I can see why some folks would prefer it in cooler weather, but I've been loving Snake Oil, Mme. Moriarty, and Paduan Killer Swarm lately, so this seems to fit into my current scent profile very well. Still unsure of why my nose tells me Champaca! for the first 30 minutes to an hour. Maybe it's some combination of lavender/bloodmusk/bitter almond? I don't get the vetiver much at all, and I don't really detect the lavender or almond. The patch is there, but it's very mild, and really GOOD patch.

I was a bit worried when I first applied this one. Initially I got a big hit of the sort of chemical leather note I associate with Banned in Boston (which unfortunately didn't work for me, but I think the booze and leather were a bad combination). Thankfully this dries down quite quickly into a rich, warm, sweet scent backed by a soft (almost suede or velvet-y) leather note. I think I'm smelling mostly the red musk, smoky vanilla, and perhaps the honey. The rich sweetness of this one reminds me of Now Winter Nights Enlarge, but without be quite so ubersweet. I can only wear Now Winter Nights Enlarge during cooler weather, it is just way too thick for warm weather. Vilf, on the other hand, isn't so overwhelming and should be a lovely, smutty alternative for this time of year.

Paduan Killer Swarm. One of the most amazing scents ever. I am addicted. But it does start out as quite an odd scent while wet.

I'll give a big second (or third, or fourth, etc) on these: Mme. Moriarty: It isn't "imp-able" but I don't imagine it would be too difficult to find a decant on the forum sales page. Goblin: This one is sweet patchouli on me. Urd: Lotsa patchouli, topped with sweet grapes and a hint of sweet champaca.