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I would have wrote almost an identical review, so I'll keep this short, adding that jasmine is not always awful on me. But it does tend to bully everyone else out of the way. Here it was so intensely overpowering that I actually went to scrub it off, which I RARELY do with a perfume, so that's saying something. If you have issues with jasmine, I would not recommend this blend.

I really like Eden. But then, I rarely run across a coconut blend I don't like. Wet, this is like a green boozy coconut milk. Very rich and sweetened with the honey. The fruit notes stay pretty green and I'm glad for that as it dries, as it could have been very cloying if it stayed in that first boozy stage. Once dry, the woods come out and give depth and much needed dryness to the scent. To me it really smells like the husk and milky, meaty flesh of a brown coconut, drizzled with honey for touch of sensuality. Very rich, very evocative of an unspoilt green paradise. May be a touch too foody for some, but I like it, and I'm pretty particular about not smelling too much like food.

Oh Mircalla! You red musk and clove and spice maven! I needed another red musk scent like I needed a hole in the head, but the Countess demanded I seek a bottle of her immediately! Actually, to be fair, it took two tests for her to really come out. The first time was surprising underwhelmng, considering the notes. But, after letting her rest from her travels and then re-testing I was hooked! I confess to loving BPALs that are heavy, dark, and heady above all others, and Mircalla lives up to that proclivity. At first somewhat sweet, all I smell is red musk, but after drydown, all the spices and woods waft around in imperious, dark glory. It's very Oriental, opium-den. Very red. I do wish I got more orchid out of this blend. I have a creeping desire to try layering this with Premature Burial-- let's put this vamp in a box and bury her (not so much) alive!

While many were in horror at the idea of apricot and vetiver in this blend, I was very interested (and hopeful). Vetiver and I generally get along pretty well, though it usually takes a few minutes if it's strong. This blend sounded reminiscent of a lighter Marquise de Mertueil, but on my skin it is an extremely simplified and boring version of that scent. I wish it were more in the middle. Marquise is so over the top grandiose I have a hard time figuring out where I'd wear it, though I find it beautiful and evocative. This scent on me boils down to simply vetiver and apricot. The end. I get nothing else, and I'm sad. Oh well.

When the update with Metamorphosis was announced, I was beyond worried about how high my credit card bill would be after my next order-- I already have a bunch of items waiting to be ordered just out of the GC! So I joined meaganola's excellent decant circle to give a few of the ones I thought most likely to be bottle-worthy a shot. I am happy and disappointed at the same time that the scents I've tried have been largely underwhelming. Gypsy is the only one out of the four that I could see getting a whole bottle of, but I'm still on the fence. On me wet: the cardamom is not fooling around. I really like cardamom as an interesting player in scents-- Okayaki was the first and only bottle of the Shunga line that I purchased, and largely because of how the cardamom works in that one. Here it seems sharper, more at the forefront, along with pure white sugar. Dry: I totally get what the poster above said about toast. Cardamom and sugar toast--- could be interesting, but kinda weird as a perfume. The vanilla and tonka are rounding out at this point, and it's an interesting gray-brown woody fragrance. I am sort of getting the physicality of the moth from it now, but not so much it's namesake, which I guess I was hoping for. Verdict: It's interesting and unique; I find it similar (but better) than the Harp, which was too cologney on me, but this one veers toward the other side of being perhaps too foody. I may have to decide just to enjoy my decant, but luckily I have a while to let it age and see if it becomes FBW.

Wow, I can't believe I haven't reviewed Hetairae yet. It's one of my first serious BPAL loves-- right behind Snake Oil and Spellbound. It's the first honey blend that I've really fallen for. I feel the honey is lush and sweet, but so sexily tempered by the dryness of the fig and the (on my skin) subtle patchouli. I can sense the ylang ylang wet, but not so much once dry, and I get no clove at all, which is unusual since I kind of amp clove. This blend is warm, comforting and sensual without being in your face vampy. It's perfect for me on low key days when I don't feel like turning it up to 11. A lovely, lovely blend.

I picked up an imp of TBCC a while back while on a mad hunt through all the sexy GC men-scents. Sometimes I like to try on masculine scents for size, and, when the husband lets me, I try them on him. He's quite fond of vetiver-heavy scents, though he has yet to try and steal any of my BPAL for himself. Anyhow, I knew I would like this one and I was right, but it's not PERFECT. The lab's leather note and I don't quite love each other, and there is a lot of it in this blend for sure. All the other notes are pure love for me, especially sage, lavender and vanilla. Front and center wet it's all cedar, darkened by the sage to a somewhat vetiver like scent. I get a whiff of lavender, and I can tell vanilla is there, but mostly just to smooth out the edges. But then as it dries big bad leather asserts itself and is sending everybody else to the background. Behave yourself leather! There's no need to be so pushy! It does sweeten up and get creamier a bit later on, but this is definitely a man's man's blend. If this is what the Antichrist smells like I'm surely doomed, cuz it's pretty sexy. Wear: really good. lasts a looong time on me. Throw: seems pretty high as well. All in all: I sprung for a 5ml at a good price on eBay which turned out to be a 10ml by mistake! Sweet! So I'm sure I'll have this bottle until the end of days.

Wow! Holy red musk is right! Spellbound is my new sexy BPAL love, but that red musk is not fooling around-- I'll have to be a little more sparing in application (I tend to slather) as I amp it like crazy anyway. I expected to get more rose out of this, as I also amp roses, but the rose stays pretty subdued, and at the same time deep and round in this blend. It's uber-sexy, it's vampy, it's perfect, I love it, I can't wait to get my big bottle of it.

This was my first Lunacy bottle purchased from the Lab-- from the description I thought it might be similar to Raven Moon, but I find it really nothing like that particular scent. It's not as heavy or Oriental in nature on my skin. I think I mostly get a dark musk and champaca, and the ambergris while it's wet. No ginger or anise that I can detect. It is by far the most "hippie, candle shop" scent I have tried from BPAL, and that's not necessarily a bad thing as I was sort of hoping to run into something of this nature. Very nocturnal, very black cat.

Wulric is currently a bed-buddy of mine. I fell in love at first swab from the imp, and got my bottle in yesterday, so we had some cuddle time last night. The pitch card is hilarious-- mean streak indeed-- but my Wulric seems quite happy to play nice and snuggle. I get a milk chocolate with a slightly "off" note, which works somehow, plus a hint of lavender and other herbs. One of my favorite things about this particular blend is how it wafts around me as I move: it has good throw it would seem. Sadly, it doesn't last as long as I'd like, but this one is definitely a keeper. Let's hope he never turns on me!

Holy vetiver gorgeousness! Vetiver can be hit or miss for me, but in this blend, it's serious love, and I couldn't be happier with it. The vetiver blends with that dry black coconut to create some kind of sexy wonderful exotica. Add in some smokey, incensey goodness, and we are go for absolute WIN. This would probably be better on a man, but good luck getting it out of my hands. I think this one will be bottle-worthy-- so far Snake Pits are ruling my wallet.

Womb Furie! OK, first, let's just say the name is kickass enough to convince me to buy this one. I almost passed, because it's really STRONG on me. I found out the hard way that this is not one to slather. A little dab is all that is needed. It's not currently my fave honey blend, that spot is occupied by Hetairae as I find it a little more sensual and grounded. Womb Furie is HI I'M HONEY AND CLOVER SWEET on me. Which is not a bad thing, but it can feel a little cloying at times. I feel alluring and sweet, but not sexy when I wear it. I'm very curious to see how it ages! I don't really seem to get any snake oil that I can catch from this, interestingly enough.

I did not care for this one much. I recently picked up Mme Moriarty and I'm quite fond of her, so I was curious how this one would compare. It's really sweet on me. I mean, sugar overload. It smells a lot like High-Strung Daisies, which also seemed to have this overly sugar water thing going on. So I basically get sugar water and coconut. No pomegranate, no cypress, which would be nice to ground it. As I was driving in my car, I realized what it most reminds me of, and I'm sorry to say it, but on me, it smells like the stuff they use in your car at a nice car wash. Industrial air freshener. It must just be me. Has some serious staying power, which I wish I could say of Mme Moriarty.

OK, this is going to perhaps be an odd review. I got a decant of WD from a lovely forumite and was instantly intrigued by it's scent. Just opening the imp in my car got it wafting around me beautifully. I must have got a bit of oil on my fingers from opening it, because it continued to develop as I drove home. I hoped it would finally be the leather scent that doesn't go wrong (plasticky and overpowering everything else) on me. I have recently discovered that sage and I are very compatible, and I think that's the note that keeps my nose focused and tempers the leather and vanilla. I've skin tested it a couple of times, and the leather note is definitely drier than some of the others I've tested, but still a little wet and plasticky for my taste. I felt compelled to buy a bottle anyway for the main purpose of scenting my car. Really. It's like new (leather-seated) car scent plus extra awesome. I told you this review might be weird. And I may try slathering my man in it, though I think Bow and Crown of Conquest wins perfect man-scent for me, followed closely by Dee.

Winner! We have a winner! Mme Moriarty is pretty much exactly what I expected based on reviews and description, which is quite a relief since I sprang for the bottle unsniffed. It's really evocative and should be a permanent signature BPAL-- it's what I think of when I think of the brand. It's dark, sexy, smoky and mysterious. I get a well-blended pomegranate and musk under a veil of smoky patchouli. I'm feeling like donning a silk headscarf and some giant hoop earrings and gazing into a crystal ball.... The only drawback for me is, like some others have experienced, my skin seems to be drinking her up. I put a fair amount on to test, and it's faded severely in less than an hour. But that's how it is with gypsies and carnivals, right? One minute they're there, and the next minute they've packed up the tents and the caravan has moved on to the next town.... Edited to add: I'm also glad to have finally found a "smoke" note that doesn't ruin blends for me. I want to love tobacco, but I've learned it is a note of doom for me--- so this patchouli leaf must be sought out in further BPAL experiments.

Blinding Glory of Love is by far my favorite TAL for two reasons: 1. It smells amazing to me: musky and minty, sexy but eccentric. Mysterious, tantalizing. I really can't explain how my nose wants to follow this scent. 2. If used as instructed: it works. I've used it both in ritual and just on my person, but when I had opportunity to use it exactly as instructed, I definitely got the results I intended.

Three white cakes, vanilla, and red and black currants. Call it a case of weird skin chemistry, but I am deeply disappointed! In the imp: Smells like a digestive biscuit/cookie. Interesting. On Wet: Definitely smelling some tasty cake and a lot of currant. No vanilla to be found, which is puzzling since I generally amp vanilla pretty well. Dry: What the what??? Floral perfume? With only the barest hint of cake somewhere in the background. And it keeps fading until really all I smell is floral. Maybe blackcurrant does this on me-- at this point it reminds me of a less potent Anactoria, and they do share that note I think. I want cake!!!

I was pretty sure I'd love Tombstone based on the description and reviews, and I'm glad to say I'm not disappointed! I am, however, surprised that the wood notes didn't amp up-- for example, last time I wore Anne Bonny, the dry wood amped to colossal proportions and left me smelling like a cedar trunk that'd been dunked in salt water and left out to dry in the hot sun. In the imp, Tombstone smelled mostly of cedar and a hint of vanilla, but once on and dry, all I get is a pretty, dry vanilla. A vanilla you can cuddle with. I like it, but I wish it were a little more complex. A little more dangerous, if you will. Think I'll try layering it with AB to get a little more woods next time-- maybe they'll be a perfect match and I'll have my super confident, pirate/cowgirl ready to take on the world scent.

Lovely L'Heure Verte. Nothing at all like I was expecting you to be. I feel a bit disappointed, but I actually still love this one for what it does have. On Wet: The most expensive soap ever. Definitely old school, Victorian Soap Dry: Less soapy, but still very old fashioned. Genteel. I get no naughty Absinthe (which I really want to smell). I get a hint of smoke at the edges; I get a little sugar, though not scorched per se, but mostly I get powdery rose and lilac. Soft and pretty, for sure, but not the sort of insinuated debauchery I was expecting from this blend. Way too innocent for the workings of my beloved Green Fairy. Overall: I feel this one actually deserves a place in my catalog, because I don't have anything quite like it with it's overall strength. In a way, it reminded me a bit of Signior Dildo from this year's lupers. Both faint, pretty floral fragrances that I really enjoy the smell of, and are nothing like anything else I currently own. I think this one is stronger and longer lasting, so I believe I will end up springing for a bottle in the end. (Plus I really really love the name, even if I can't smell the absinthe! )

Ah, Boomslang. My first CD, ordered unsniffed. I've started to get a slight panic worrying about the next CD update and the eventual leaving of this fun carnival. So I'm concentrating my efforts on trying some out, ordering some like this one without any previous encounter. So, OK, this is a pretty safe choice for me: I love Snake Oil, as I have testified in previous reviews. I have a LOT of it all of a sudden. So how could chocolate and SO be anything less than awesome? And it IS. In the bottle: I smell very serious chocolate. Dark, bittersweet, luxurious. Just the way I like it. On Wet: Lots of cocoa, SO starting to slither out from underneath Dry: Tame, tame snakey. Almost aquatic somehow. Rice milk must be tempering the cocoa, but it still maintains a hint of sharpness for me through the SO. It's all blending so well, it's a softer, cuddly snake. Boomslangs are small venomous snakes, but to me this feels more like a beautiful golden albino python coiling around me carefully, still warm from being out in the sun. (I happen to feel a strong pull to constrictors, so this imagery works for me.) In fact, it very much makes me think of Damballah Wedo, who seems to be trying to get my attention lately, so this is very fitting. All in all, as people have said, if you like SO, this is a great one to try. I haven't had much luck with choco scents up to this point, but I'm pretty sure this one's a keeper.

2010 Version I wasn't sure what to expect with Anactoria, not really having a lot of experience (that I'm aware of) with many of the notes. But the description sounded cool, so I sprang for a decant. First off: this is by far the most "commercial perfume" smelling BPAL I've tried thus far. Granted, I've only tried maybe 30 or 40, but none have had quite this flavor. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just a surprise. Still, there's something I find intriguing and charming about Anactoria, and you'll have to bear with me for a sec. I'm reading this book on perfume that talks about how all the notes should blend together so that nothing really sticks out-- it's an alchemical transformation of many into one. And on my skin, that is definitely what I get with Anactoria. It's a sweet, musky floral, but nothing is dominant to my nose. It's really well blended and pretty. Which brings me to the second thing of note: it's awfully pretty and innocent smelling for something described in such a hot sexy way. I'm not getting sweaty limbs or flesh of any kind really. My final analysis: at the end of the day, a very pretty, wearable scent, if you like light, sweet, musky florals, but steer clear if commercial perfumes make you go "ick." Does it make me swoon, or scream "buy a bottle right now!", no. I might. I might not. Ugh, this is one of those that brings out my most Libran indecisiveness. Definitely holding onto my decant, though.

I never would have thought myself to be hanging with the popular crowd-- I'm an iconoclast, right? I go my own way. Well, Snake Oil is definitely proving that wrong. I wouldn't say I LOVE the stuff, a more accurate assessment would be that I'm infatuated, obsessed, flat out crazy about it. I want to bathe in it. I never want to be without it. This is crazy. I don't have much to say about what it smells like-- dreamy, spicy, sensual, musky vanilla. (By the way, I've learned through BPAL that musk is my new favorite word, and vanilla is probably an extremely close second). Both are full of win. Anywho, I first encountered it fresh, and I'm pleased with it fresh, though it does start out a little, well, vanilla is a good descriptor. Nothing to write home about. But it seemed to age fast in my imp, and/or Beth puts a certain amount of crack in it that makes me crave the smell of it nearly constantly. You're a pusher, Beth! I placed a bottle order from the Lab along with some other goodies and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival, but was fortunate enough to win a bottle of Snake Oil on ebay aged from 2007. WINWINWINWINWIN. It is richer, deeper, sexier, and more addictive if such a thing were possible. I'm pretty sure this is the longest review I will ever write of a BPAL. If you've read this far, you a) really like reading, and/or b ) probably love Snake Oil too. If neither of those two are true, then you must not have tried it, and what can I say but give it a shot. If you hate it, you're welcome to send it my way! To conclude my praise of this scent I will say that not only do I love SO by itself, it is really great with just about everything. It's sort of like bacon in that respect-- great by itself, also makes whatever you pair it with that much more awesome. Truly.

I, like tarotgirl, must also have a black heart, because I experience the same call! Bright pink and red, juicy and sweet. Got a thumbs up from the SO, so that seals the deal. My only complaint is that I'd like a bit more of the vanilla and sandalwood, and it fades pretty fast but that's what layering's for I suppose! Love it, bought a bottle! On a side note: I tried combining this with Black Lace to see if I could get more vanilla out of the pair and tone down the Pier 1/craft store notes I was getting from BL. No such luck. All BL did was beat BH into submission and leave me with slightly fruitier Pier 1. Le sigh.

Drat. I can't understand how Zombi could let me down like this. It all seems so perfect on paper: I've already established a love for dirt notes through Penny Dreadful and Premature Burial (much love for PB). AND I love love love roses. This should have been the one. But alas, it is not so. For whatever reason, Zombi on me is just musty and aquatic. Like cut greenery that has been sitting out too long in a vase that hasn't seen water in weeks. Not what I want to smell like! I get no rose here at all to speak of. How is this possible? Oh well!

I think I quite like this, but it's not what I would expect at all. Sniffing the vial, all I get is cherry, maybe a whiff of lavender. Wet on my skin it's the same, but that lasts for about two seconds before it goes super soft and powdery. In a good way I suppose. I can't decide! I thought there was amber in here at first because sometimes amber gives me that baby powder effect, so I'm surprised to find it is red musk! Hmmm. This scent is so super femme on me that I have a really hard time imagining it on a man at all! It's been on for a while now and all I can sniff (way close to the wrists, almost no throw here) is sugary powdered cherry and a wisp of rose. I'm feeling very Libra about this, as I kinda like it, but I was really hoping for a lot of rose(wood) and a nice bite from the lavender, which has been MIA throughout. Ah well!