valentina

When I read the ingredients in Tezcatlipoca, I thought oh my hell, chocolate and patchouli -- what more could I want?

 

In the imp, I mainly smelled the cocoa and patchouli, with a leather background.

 

On initial application and early dry-down, the leather really blooms. My body amps leather rather efficiently. There's also a strong incense smell coming out.

 

A few hours later the leather calmed down a lot, leaving a bit of each component part in the sniff. The cocoa probably burned off the most, leaving the patchouli-leather-incense smell. I do like it on me, it's not an everyday scent, but I may get a small bottle for the jollies of it, because I love it as a weekend or evening oil.

 

 

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In the imp -- Mmmmm. Earthy, warm, mysterious. Nuanced.

 

Initial application -- Wow, I adore this, the dark patchouli and herbal elements are gorgeous.

 

Dry down -- Oh no...the vetivert. It has taken over and it's call that I can smell. I wait another hour. Even stronger vetivert. It doesn't smell bad on me, but my body's response to vetivert has overwhelmed the wonderful nuances of this blend.

 

I gave the imp to my husband, because he loves vetivert, and on him, Umbra keeps more of its subtle qualities. This is certainly not a light, girly scent, but I think the balance of the component parts is rather delicate. On the right person, Umbra could be simply awesome.

 

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I put on my black harness motorcycle boots for the first time this fall and thought what the hell, let's really test out that Anne Bonny in a big way!

 

Patchouli works on me, and the patchouli in this blend is the spicier sort. The first hour, I was under the strong influences of the patchouli plus the frankincense smokiness. About 5 hours later, I'm pleased to say the sweetness of the sandalwood has not overwhelmed me, and all the components of the blend are there when I sniff my wrist. And I may be nuts, and it's probably coming from the sweetness of the sandalwood, I could swear I get the tiniest whiff of coconut. There had to be a few coconuts rolling around on the pirate ships, eh? And I smell a little iodine?

 

While I know I have my biker boots on, I do attribute the influence of Anne Bonny to a man asking me why I don't own a Harley, because I would look so great on one. It has to be that she-pirate vibe!

 

Aye, matey... Anne Bonny can put you in the mood!

 

valentina

Since Coiled Serpent is all about kundalini and has patchouli in it, I happily gave it a bigger whirl than I normally would -- I put it on as my scent-for-a-day after only a tiny test the evening before.

 

It's very patchouli in the imp and upon initial application. After an hour or so, the patchouli fades and it becomes much sharper, more spicy-metallic. Not in an unpleasant way, but there's something else going on in this blend other than patchouli. On me, in addition to a black pepper smell, there is something very herbal, almost dill or fennel-like after it warms up even longer. Is this just my wonky body chemistry? But it's almost foody in a spicy herbal sort of way.

 

Overall, a very warming fragrance, dark and spicy. It probably won't be an everyday or big-bottle fragrance for me, but I'll use a bit of this every now and then when I need to give myself a jolt of heat and energy.

 

valentina

has anyone mentioned Urd?

It's my favorite BPAL scent, I'll pimp this to the end of time

 

It's mixed with a fresh, vineyard grape smell which balances the black and red patchouli very nicely. It's not overwhelming and doesn't give me a headache.

I've been looking for the perfect patchouli scent for years, and Urd is the one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've been working my way through imps of the BPAL patchoui scents (thanks to a lab order and members kind enough to sell/swap) and I have to agree that Urd is the most nuanced, fabulous patchouli-based scent. I think Tencatlipcoa and Coiled Serpernt are really, really nice, and I also like Depraved, but Urd simply rules. I will join CourtneyLynne in pimping Urd to the end of time!

 

valentina

Everyone loves this scent so much, and I truly did try. But in the imp, I picked up a sweet, woodsy, metallic scent with a kind of gamey undertone. Kind of like there's been a roomful of guys wearing armor breastplates sitting around eating and drinking wine from metallic cups for days, sweating a lot and peeing in the corners. But the windows are open and you can smell the forest through all of that.

 

On my body it really kind of reminded me of someone trying to disguise body odor by spraying cinnamon room freshener on themselves. It's my wonky body chemistry and I suspect from all the previous glowing reviews that I'll be able to find someone who will trade my imp of Tintagel for another scent!

 

valentina

I love this scent in the imp -- it is gorgeous. I picked up lots of apple plus oak and herbal smells. On my body, it starts to morph into the sweet smell that previous reviewers mentioned and I lose the wood and the herbs. Wah! This is not anything that I'll put on my body, but I love the scent so much that I'll use it in a scent locket or as a home fragrance. It truly is beautiful, an indian summer kind of fragrance.

 

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If there was ever a scent that made me truly believe that Beth is a genius, it's this one! Not that I ever questioned it, but now I have incontrovertible evidence.

 

I adored the smell of Scarecrow in the imp -- it's green with a little dryness, precisely that time of year when things are still green, but beginning to dry out. Warm, sunny, with a hot, dry wind blowing -- just like the western edge of the great plains, where I live.

 

I placed a tiny bit on my skin and within 5 minutes, my very reliable skin amps were blaring out the aroma of warm musk. I'm sure there's not a great deal of this in Scarecrow, but my body will always move warm musk to front and center. Unfortunately, it smells like ass on me, so I washed it off. But, this is the brilliant part of the scent -- to me, it captures the smell of a man who has come in from working in the hot, grassy, drying fields. Big, strapping, sweaty fellas in jeans and chambray shirts coming in from harvesting the fields. Mmmmm...

 

I gave the imp to my husband to test and it smells great on him, very masculine, very clean and natural. I'll probably buy a bottle of it for him, 'cause it is nice.

 

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All the preceding comments have described Snake Oil very well. I got an imp and was terribly excited to see what all the fuss was about. My first sniff from the imp caused me to say: "Oh yeah..."

 

But then I put in on and the sweetness would not calm down -- I was having the dreaded "Play-Dough" effect. I washed it off and felt really sad. Later on that night, whenever I would move my left arm near my face, I'd get a waft of a wonderful aroma. The Snake Oil was not easily washed off, and what was left was delicious.

 

I tried it again the following day by diluting it with a drop of distilled water and creating a bit of a Snake Oil cologne. It worked to help dilute the overly sweet quality and it smells outrageously good. This is very potent stuff, at least on me, but a diluted version has created that alluring sweet and spicy sniff that everyone who loves Snake Oil raves about.

 

And I think it is incredibly alluring. I am anxious for the male "nose" who critiques all my scents to pass judgment on it.

 

ETA: If anyone ever passes by this review in the pages and pages and pages of reviews, about 8 months after I wrote the review, I tried Snake Oil again. And I loved it, and it's become one of my absolute favorites.

 

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In the imp: Loved it. Made me do a happy dance. Not very analytical on my part, but that's what happened.

 

Initial application: I was a smidge concerned that Depraved would blow up and become very strong on me, but I could tell it wasn't going to do that, so I threw on a little more, because I loved it -- very apricot and patchouli.

 

Dry-down: I was slightly worried that the apricot would overwhelm or become disgustingly sweet. To my joy, it does not. I think I smell like apricot-flavored black tea, the way it smells before it's been brewed. To me, the fragrance is mellow and reassuring.

 

Two hours later: Friends who sniff me like the scent and find it subtle and mysterious. I tend to avoid a lot of fruity aromas because they become too cloying on me, but apparently apricot is not going to do that, at least when mixed with patchouli.

 

8 hours later: This fragrance holds on, but not obnoxiously. Just politely hanging around. It does not morph, and the component parts remain rather balanced.

 

I have a late, great friend who used to rub his hands together and say in his most sinister voice: "Oh, the utter depravity of it all..." But on me, Depraved comes out as a very earthy, nectary, mellow scent. Almost comforting. I keep coming back to apricot-flavored black tea. For me, it won't be a devastatingly sexy scent, but actually something I could wear on a day when it might be appropriate to be a little subtle with my fragrance.

 

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In the imp: Patchouli/myrrh with some green undertones. It was the first one of the imps I sampled when I got my lab order, because I loved the smell so much.

 

Upon application: Went powdery on me right away. I am concerned.

 

Dry-down: Still powdery and I check to see its component parts, for I could swear that I'm smelling sandalwood. But it is in fact the myrrh that is blowing up all over the place.

 

One hour later: The blast of myrrh blows over and dissapates and leaves behind a nice green, woodsy scent. It smells more like a man's cologne, but it's nice.

 

4 hours later: The green, woodsy scent is still there and the patchouli begins to make an appearance as a spicy background element accenting the oakmoss and juniper.

 

This smells really good on me, but again, it heats up on me in a way that I associate with masculine scents. However, if I'm feeling more butch than femme, I would happily wear it. It might not go on the big bottle list, but I will enjoy this imp.

 

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In the imp: Very complex, sweet, citrus and spices. Rather alluring.

 

Initial application: Strong citrus and rose. I have come to realize what a gorilla rose seems to be when combined with my body chemistry. It tends to take over everything else.

 

Drydown: Big giant rose, very sweet, a little too sweet.

 

2 or 3 hours later: Finally, the rose gives way to patchouli. Thank you! It's a very spicy patchouli with a background of florals, a smidge powdery(probably the musk working its way into the blend), but not in a bad way. There's kind of a slutty Victorian vibe to it.

 

5 hours later: This has staying power -- serious staying power. However, the patchouli fades down and a soft musky floral aroma lingers, a much gentler scent that the initial application/drydown phases.

 

I really thought this would work... the next time I plan to use it, I'm using a lot less and layering it with some of my Tunisian patchouli, which has a bit of a natural rosy overtone.

 

valentina

In the imp: Big bawdy roses, with some cinnamon spicing up the works.

 

Initial application: More of the big bawdy roses, but ouch... the cinnamon oil is making my skin turn red and burn a bit. Itchy. But after 5 or 10 minutes, it goes away.

 

Dry down: Still getting a lot of rose, but some of the intensity is wearing off and the cinnamon is working itself into the blend. Is a softer, more complex scent than I would have initially believed. I don't find it cloying or overwhelming.

 

3 hours later: It's softened even more and turned into a very balanced blend of cinnamon and rose. It's feminine and subtle without being girly-girl sweet.

 

This is another one of those blends that won't become a signature fragrance for me, but I think it would be lovely in a scent locket, or worn on days when I wanted to do something completely different from the norm.

 

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In the imp: Very unusual and exotic! Cactus, coriander, amber. Love it!

 

Initial application: Big, green whiffs of cactus, coriander and the hyssop. I love coriander and hyssop, so I am in heaven. I'm also picking up a pear-like sweetness.

 

Dry down: Oh no, amber, that 400-pound gorilla on my body chemistry, just came in and shoved all the notes out of the way. The amber is just sitting there, heating up more and more. So sad... I want my green scents back!

 

3-4 hours later: The amber didn't explode as badly on my body as some scents and it's mellowed a bit, allowing for some other notes to emerge. I still get the pear and a little bit of green, herbal scent. However, all the initial promise of this scent was destroyed by my body's predicatable reaction to amber.

 

For someone who likes southwesterny herbals and can wear amber without it flaring up on your body, this could be really gorgeous. It won't be for me, but I'd love to smell it on the right person -- it would be refreshing and exotic.

 

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In the imp: Roses, tea, spice of carnations. Lovely, very girly.

 

Initial application: White tea scent predominates. This smells a lot like a white tea-scented candle that I got a couple of years ago and just loved. There are lemony undertones with a final whiff of rose.

 

Dry-down: The tea notes faded out and the roses took over, very extensively. I am a bit bummed, as I adored that tea fragrance.

 

3-4 hours later: The rose has calmed down and while it's still predominating, I'm also getting the spice of the carnations and a little waft of white tea.

 

This is a very pretty, very femme scent. It is almost a 180 degree change from my usual dark, incense-based favorites, but it does work on me, albiet not as a signature scent. However, it is lovely and it's a scent that I might really enjoy using in a scent locket.

 

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In the imp: Very grapey, the same kind of winey grape that I first picked up out of the imp when I smelled Wanda or Blood Lotus.

 

Initial application: More grapey wine, plus patchouli. But since I love, love, love dark patchouli, I'm a happy camper.

 

Dry-down: The Nag Champa has now kicked in. There's a predominant woody-resin smell, with patchouli wafting around the edges. But because I burn Nag Champa and patchouli incense when I meditate, this is a very soothing. It is not a sweet, light fragrance -- very robust.

 

3-4 hours later: The incense note has finished being dominant and I'm getting a bit of all three major elements of the blend. It is head shop-y, but not in the sweet lotus incense way of Blood Lotus -- this head shop is burning Nag Champa.

 

Urd was one of those fragrances that I was very anxious to try, and it's going to the top of my "buy a bottle" list. Obviously, the head shops of the '60's and '70's have somehow insinuated themselves into my body chemistry.

 

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In the imp: Excessively wild and manly. I knew this would not be going on my person. I gave it to my husband. He wanted to test it right away. So here's what happened...

Upon application: I smelled his arm and immediately thought of that smell at the vet's office when a male dog's anal gland is emptied. A combination of poo and musky mandog juices. Ugh. I told my husband that I did not want to smell his arm again and suggested that he wash his arm, but in the name of scent-testing, I retracted my request.

Dry-down: My husband, not a compulsive arm-sniffer when testing new scents, kept sniffing his arm. We had gone out to eat and I was a little concerned that someone might think he'd browned his shorts. Since I was eating, I refused to smell his arm, even though he assured me that it was "mellowing." Once we were done eating, I agreed to take a whiff. To my surprise, I picked up a nice spicy, clove/cinnamon smell, followed up by the olfactory aftershock of the poo-like smell.

A couple of hours later: First and most prominent notes are the earthy, spicy smells, followed by that warm musky/civet smell, which to me says "wild animal poo." If a man wore this while in the woods, he would be ravished by opposums and racoons. But in fairness, my nose is ultra-sensitive to civet and warm/red musk, and what doesn't work for me may drive many people postively mad with desire. My husband can't smell it and he likes Satyr. He might wear it on days when I'm not around.

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In the imp: Lots of fruity, fruity merlot. Very sweet.

 

Initial application: Very fruity, almost Kool-Aid, with a floral undertone. Pleasant, but not at all shy.

 

Dry-down: The leather and musk rise to the top and take over, with lingering undertones of merlot and flowers. Very unusual, I enjoy it.

 

4 hours later: The leather in Wanda mellows a lot faster than the leather in either De Sade or Loviatar, and the fruity and floral qualities are allowed to appear again. Those who I ask to sniff my arm find the aroma both unusual and confusing because they can't identify what is going on. Wanda is a subtle enigma. I like that.

 

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In the bottle: First whiff, spicy/leathery. I like it a lot.

 

Initial application: Here comes the amber! Then the leather! Leather and amber blow up together! This is a huge fragrance.

Dry-down: Still strong leather and amber, with the myrrh and musk giving a bit of a spicy undertone. This reminds me a great deal of DSH Celestial Smoke, only with leather added.

 

Five hours later: This one isn't mellowing or morphing a bit -- it has inordinate staying power.

 

People who sniffed this on me generally reacted with exclaimations, but not negative ones. It kicks serious butt, and I'll probably retest Loviatar again on a brisk autumn day, so see how it responds to my autumnal body chemistry.

 

valentina

 

Revised: It wasn't a brisk autum day, but it was a 75 degree day instead of 95 degree day. I thought I'd slap on some Loviatar for the jollies of it, and sure 'nuf, the cooler weather changed the dry-down of the fragrance. The leather was softer and the dry-down was sweet and spicier. It's without question a cooler-weather scent for me. It's on the "buy a bottle" list now!

I thought I'd try this on me simply because some traditionally masculine scents work just fine with my chemistry. So here's what happened:

 

In bottle: Leather, pure leather. But light and not overbearing.

 

Initial application: This is leather and it's pretty intense, almost overbearing.

 

Dry-down: If I was in Scotland, with my face buried into a big strapping Scotman's leather coat as some peaty fires burned nearby and the smoke wafted around us, this is what I'd smell. (I rather like this imagery...do I have to move on?) Yummy, but very masculine. But I don't mind it on my person.

 

3-4 hours later: This has retained the leather/smoke scent, but with my body chemistry, has softened and picked up a bit of a spicy quality.

 

I would love to smell this on a man, but I'd also wear it if I was in all black leather, or if I just wanted to put on the "I'm in all black leather" attitude.

 

valentina

In the imp: Sweet lotus smell with fruity undertones. Sort of yummy, sexy-sweet. Very positive initial reaction.

 

On me: This takes me back to the 1970's (so I'm not as young as most of y'all) and a record store/head shop/vegetarian cafe in my college town. Lotus incense, wood floors and sweet, fruity wine. Very, very retro, but in a rather pleasing way. I am pleased that the lotus did not turn overly sweet on me -- it is readily offset by the dragon's blood.

 

Dry-down: Many fruity/floral scents evaporate on me after a few hours, but not this one. It true staying power, although not in an obnoxious way.

 

I'll wear this one when I'm in a particularly '70's mood.

 

 

valentina