SophieCedar

Fairy Tales and Lies reminds me to a rose version of Belle Epoque. It's got that rich, gilded vibe but with roses instead of lilies being the predominant floral. Sadly, I am not a rose fan but its very much in the same vein as Belle Epoque.

 

I'd have to agree with zankoku_zen. The cascade and throw is similar to Belle Epoque, Good association.

 

The lilac is actually very prominent on me,sticking around way longer than I assumed it would. The rose is playing middle fiddle. The amber chypre is warm and resinous without any super sharp notes. The bergamont is a perfect supporter, adding brightness and a nice acidic note to prevent this from going mealy or flat. Overall, a beautiful warm clean perfume.

Uhh hmm. Well here's what I can think of:

 

Nuclear Winter: Annihilation. The ice, desolation and barrenness of nuclear devastation shot through by a beam of radioactive mints.

 

Wings of Azrael: Azrael is the Angel of Death, marked as the last being to die in the Apocalypse. Though a harbinger of doom, his duties are an act of mercy: he curtails human life before world-weariness and despair destroys our spirits. Warm myrrh swirled with a bittersweet blend of violet, Lily of the Valley, juniper, cypess and cajeput.

 

Ragnarok series:

 

The Battle of Vigridr:The blood of the gods cascading onto earth and into sea: salt and sinew, venom and flame, and bone shards scattered across the gore-soaked soil of Óskópnir.

 

The Fimbul Winter: The scent of utter desolation: three long white winters ushering in the end of the world. Endless rolling landscapes of snow and ice, bereft of bud, flower, or seed.

 

The Final Darkness: The sun turns black, earth sinks in the sea: black amber and shimmering moonflower blackened by opoponax, khus attar, smoked oudh, and myrrh and all swallowed by the fathomless depths of a lightless ocean.

This is the closest to a moonflower single note I've smelled out of the whole bpal collection. The iris root isn't too pronounced so don't worry about that. Lavender is sweet, gardenia a nice support. The moss is a great addition, providing a small green earthy base note.

 

This will be an underrated floral, lost in the deluge of LEs around this time of year. Floral/moonflower lovers, beware, you will want this one later. Get it now!

Ya know, this reminds me a lot of Sibyl. Well and Elegy No. 1 S. 196. Kinda like if these 2 had a baby... Overall, its sweet, creamy, musky with a hint of citrus sharpness. I like it.

I normally pass on anything apple because my skin eats it alive and I'm left with nothing. This actually has some staying power. Seems the only apple that works for me is black appalachian.

 

This blend is sweet, creamy, floral, well rounded, earthy, not too much patchouli. Win!

Vetivert fans will love this one. I see it as more of a gender-neutral to masculine scent, as the plum is very very dry. Smoky, dark, woody. Reminds me of the cadence of Third Charm, which was popular after the fact. Not identical in the sense of its smell, just overall feel. The vetivert mellows in drydown and it sweetens and gets more musky.

In the fall, I love Bat-Woman on a rainy day. It sets this lovely mournful/romantic floral backdrop to the swirling wind, fresh earth, and still warm rain.

 

Otherwise for cold cold rainy days I go with something comforting, warm, cozy, with a bit of brightness: Dragon's Milk, Burning Vulva, Cockaigne, Sibyl, Peach V.

This is hottt... french tobacco with leather and a bit of deep gentleman's fougere. What I imagine a young, rich, victorian-era banker would smell of. Frikkin sweet.

Heeeyyyy. red musk I can actually wear!

 

No really. This is well blended. Reminds me a bit of Thirteen 8/13/2010 with the red notes. Its dry cacao, musk, dark fruity currant, amber, vanilla. Well balanced, enticing, warm.

Diamond Star is the perfect oriental. Beautiful sweet woods, musky, spicy, incense smell with a touch of floral. This does NOT go baby powdery on me at all. Bottle worthy for sure.

I'd have to agree with LiberAmoris on the strawberry blush part. The strawberry is the only other note that stands right out.

 

When applied wet, it smells like... a My Little Pony....Yup. Not kidding. I think its the "wild" part of the strawberry.. a whiff of greenery. Gets a little less green as it dries down. I love sandalwood however its not as prominent in this mix as I imagined. It is a base note/melder. Whatever moroccan means in the world of sandalwood, its frikkin awesome... sweet and a little musky. Reminiscent of Morocco's characteristics for sure.

 

Very well blended. Light to medium throw. Smooth, creamy, sweet, musky, peachy... but not overwhelmingly so, in any direction. Very wearable.

How have I not reviewed this yet?

 

On me, this is a beautiful perfect subtle clean-burning Japanese incense. Sweet, not overpowering. Nice warm resin base, wafts of cactus green and a touch of floral.

This is Butterflies Flowers and Jewels attending without the high-pitched notes. Honestly I love it. Completely not bothered by the licorice. If this was a blind bottle test I'm sure I wouldn't be able to easily identify the licorice. Its freesia up-front for me!

Aye chiwawa... this is warm. If you like LUSH's Glugg shower gel spice mix or the long-lost cassia incense from AIRS.. this is for you. Honestly I'm saving this one for when I'm cold and achy. It'll dry me right out then make me sleep like a baby.

I totally see what people are saying about fresh nag champa... then as this dries, I get a spicy oriental with a touch of motor oil. Dead sexy.

I'm looking for some recommendations for vanilla florals (florals with tonka or benzoin are also good). I'm okay with most flowers, although orange blossom/neroli and heavier roses can be troublesome sometimes.

 

I would recommend Joyful Moon or Celeste. They're a little harder to find but great.

I would suggest Dragon's Milk, Osun, Bard, Thieves Rosin, Parliament of Monsters (my favorite incense blend!), Morgause(purple but pretty incense and velvetly/glittery to me), Chimera, Fae, Lyonesse, All in a Golden Afternoon, and No. 93 Engine.

 

More atmospheric, but I would also suggest Forest Reverie: A sunlit ancient forest, dotted with wild roses, grape vine, and queenly lilies, clothed in swirls of opium smoke.

 

Best of luck!

Oohhoho boy.. do I loves me some pink scents...

 

Here's my list of the top pink scents, IMHO:

 

Loli.Goth

Vasilissa

Lady in Speckled Pink Kimono

Hime Gyaru

Pink Phoenix

Kitty

Strawberry Moon 2012

Golletes <3 <3

Blooming Rose

Love

Lilith's Bubblegum & Roses

Wet: apple? and water. Definitely apple note on me

dry: ambergris, dark water, salt. dark musk. Love it.

I agree with comparisons to The Lion. However this doesn't have the weird effect of said feline: overwhelming me.

The oudh is what makes this so different. Slightly saffrony, rosey, dark, tart notes make the amber stand alert in Gondola. Reminds me of sticking my nose in a big assorted box of incense and essential oils imported from india. I love it. http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/wub2.gif

Wondering why no one has mentioned a similarity Sibyl or Kitty yet? I would even compare it the feel of Vasilissa.

 

I get sweet, soft, creamsicle with a touch of ambergris. Elegy No. 1 S. 196 is lighter than Kitty or Sibyl but the overall qualities are there. The throw is pervading and elusive like Haunted and the overall feel is amazing, cloud-soft, sweet, musky, feminine, refined, balanced, and definitely not a "mall-perfume-stink". Great for day/night, good mood/bad mood, and all seasons.

 

Its not very often I fall in love with a scent this heavily so quickly.

You know, I'm reviewing this phoenix last because Baruch's Phoenix is the most complex and morph-y. I needed some time to see the full spectrum.

 

Starts off cedar strong. Like so much it masked all other notes. It bloomed to a thin fig and bitter almond, then turned the corner to resinville. Drydown smells like warm sweet candlewax due to the date and honey mixed with resin and cedar. Honestly? Perplexing and intriguing, I'd regret not buying a bottle.

Oooh boy... don't hit me but this smells a bit like Calvin Klein's Euphoria. Mind you that's one of the very few commercial perfumes I can stand... so win!

 

Saffron and me don't always agree. It tends to turn to burning rubber on my skin if not blended with just the right notes. Anyways... Its the saffron that shines here. This really showcases what saffron can do and how much of a unique keystone it can be in a perfume. Sweet plum and pomegranate with warm gorgeous saffron and just the right blend of resins. Bottle for sure.

OMG this is the unexpected win of the group. I thought for sure something in Tacitus' Phoenix was gonna go wrong on me..but I was wrong instead. Warm incense-y amber and clove with touches of orange peel. this is reminding me of LUSH's Icon for some reason. Yes, actually, its exactly that. Icon freaks rejoice!

Ok... so when I saw the description for Herodotus' Phoenix, I messaged a bpal friend saying "WIN FOR TEAM RESIN!"

 

Not disappointed. This is a delicious combination for resin freaks like me. I dare say almost edible. Honestly its making my mouth water. Go figure.

 

Anyways, warm middle depth myrrh mixed with an almost floral combination of frankincense and copal. If you like the incense notes of Dia de los Muertos, I would say try this.