OctoberGwen

I'm a lemon verbena fan, and when first applied that's mostly what I'm getting from Venusian Phoenix. Fresh, yellow-green, and lovely; it's like standing in the sunshine on the first warm day of Spring. As the oil warms on my skin, it blooms. I get a soft rose, a very slight coolness from the rose mint, and I can smell the tomato leaf, normally a note I don't like at all but here it provides an earthiness to ground everything beautifully. If I concentrate, I think I detect cherry's stickiness, but only just. I do not pick out any other individual notes, they just continue to meld into a wonderfully complex close-to-the-skin scent. It's soft and fresh, masterfully blended, and I don't have anything else like it in my collection. Venus is my ruling planet, and I think this is an exquisite representation of it. The label art is absolutely gorgeous, too.

I would recommend Heretic, which is a current retail exclusive from the Heretic Salon in LA. (You can google it and call to place an order.) It's very bold.

Seconding AEris's recommendation for the TAL Nocturne blend. I use this almost nightly now and have found that I sleep very, very well and wake up feeling rested. Be sure to use it as directed (annoint the soles of your feet, third eye & heart chakras, temples, and pulse points.)

I ordered a bottle of this unsniffed, and I'm glad I did. It smells like I've been burning a very good quality incense, and then I threw open the windows on a warm Autumn afternoon and the smell of the forest is blowing in on the breeze, mingling with the sweetness of the smoke from the kyphi. Not overbearing, but very present and very pretty. Love the label, too.

My personal chocolate experiences: Boomslang is the best cocoa combo EVAH. Hands down. It is not foody in the least. Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and Gelt both went weird and awful on me. Velvet can smell off, too at certain times of the month. WILF had way too much going on, as do the 13's I have tried: I just don't like cocoa or chocolate combined with a bunch of flowers, mint, etc on my skin. As for the delightful Bliss, I like to sniff it or put it in a scent locket when I'm in the mood for a foody chocolate scent...it is pure milk choc and really heavenly. It actually does make me happier when I smell it. And Bittersweet Chocolate bath oil is to die for.

This smells wonderful. Rich, dark patchouli and sweet vanilla and lots of soft leather, with a hint of the tobacco. I love this blend, it smells like a high class gentleman's club for sure. I imagine a cozy room with sumptuous furnishings, lit by tiffany lamps and a coal fire. Murmured conversation, soft laughter, and the clink of ice in cut crystal glasses. It's like something out of The Vampire Lestat. Sophisticated, lasts forever, and just a freaking amazing smell. I need lots.

What! How have I not reviewed this yet?! I love Konditorei, it is one of my top three atmo sprays. It's a delicious blend of coffee, chocolate, and nutty apple baked goods. Every time I use it, inevitably my husband comes in (it could be hours later) and very hopefully asks what I've been baking. And sadly (for him), I always answer, "Nothing." Really, this is wonderful stuff. And one squirt will do ya!

On me, Shub-Niggurath is not "gingerbread" at all, it is fresh cut ginger root - sharp and strong. There is nothing about this that says baked goods to my nose. After a bit, the ginger backs off a bit and I smell something lemony/lime, creamy-resiny, and herbal on top of the ginger. What a wonderful blend. It is definitely reminiscent of Voodoo, it has a similar lime cola vibe except it's sweeter and there's no smoky tang from the vetiver. This is delicious, but not overly foody. Fresh, enticing, and unique. It makes me want to snuggle in with my arm and just...smell it.

This is one of those scents that smells so familiar, somehow, it immediately makes me think "home." It's the strangest thing. Doom Of Beauty is like that for me, also, though in that case I know the origin: my mother's herb gardens. With Mrs. Grose, I wonder if it's deja-vu or some memory of my grandmother's house or...I just don't know. I smell something that says "rosehips" to me, and definitely black tea, and a dusty, delicious spiciness. It's like the memory of more refined times that you get faint wafts of as you tour a historic mansion. It's cozy, with an edge. I can't describe it properly, but I think I need a bottle simply for the pure evocative quality of the scent for me.

This is a gorgeous blend. For once on me, the leather is soft, not sharp and overwhelming; and the honey and vanilla do not become so sweet they nauseate me. There is no trace of plastic. It is not flowery at all. Just a smooooooooth, perfect blend. Interestingly, twice in a row my right wrist smelled more strongly of the leather, and my left had a distinct rootbeer quality from the sarsparilla (another note I generally do not care for, incidentally.) I was a bit sad that this is so nice, actually. My beautiful NYCC fairy (you know who you are) went to a boatload of trouble to obtain two other exclusive scents for me - I was convinced that Badgers wouldn't work. Ironically, I ended up swapping those two away and then really liking Badgers when I got a half decant. I thought I'd need to hunt down a bottle of this, but I think I'm fine with my decant after all. As lovely as this is, I still don't really want to smell like leather. I'll enjoy my little imp, for sure!

Nope. I am telling you to keep trying things that sound good to you. Some will work, some won't...even after you think you've figured out what your notes of doom are. And btw...the Swaps forum is your friend.

It can take a while to figure out what works and what doesn't, so don't get discouraged quite yet. Also, bear in mind that things often smell different on your skin at different times of the month, depending on your hormone levels and so forth, so always try a particular scent a few times before you give up on it. (There's also aged vs fresh vs different batches to consider.) Some components might work on you when paired with certain other components, and vice versa. It seems like every time I decide I can't wear anything with such-and-so in it, along comes a blend with that note that smells great on me! Half the fun is the experimentation.

I have not been sleeping well lately, probably because my two young sons are still in the habit of crawling into bed with us in the middle of the night. We have a King, but adding two more people and a large dog that sleeps sideways across your feet makes for a very crowded sleep space. Most mornings I wake up feeling like I haven't even slept: tired, achy, cranky, gritty eyes. I've used Nocturne as recommended for the past several nights, and I have to say that I have awakened feeling pretty damn good. I don't notice that it helps me fall asleep any faster (which isn't generally a problem anyway, but I have TKO for those occasions.) However, I definitely feel that I am sleeping better. Once applied, I mostly get rose. This stuff could smell like gasoline, though, and I'd still use it. It works. I've experienced no grogginess the next day, either. ETA: Nocturne has become a workhorse TAL for me: I use it pretty much every night. Part of my nightly ritual is anointing myself with it and I sleep like the dead. Every night. And when I wake up, I feel rested. No grogginess. It's wonderful. And here's the real kicker: last week my husband, who is the most non-magical person I know, was complaining of not sleeping well, so I anointed him with Nocturne. The next morning he said that he slept "like a rock." The next night I asked if he wanted it again, and he said yes, please. He left on a trip, came back yesterday, and last night asked for the Nocturne! So yes, people: you don't have to be a believer for it to work. And it works like a motherfucker.

On me, this is exactly like Red Lace without the redness, i.e. the raspberry, pomegranate, and red musk. (Somebody said the same thing after previewing it at a Con - was it Mellifluous? If so, he was dead right.) Since Red is my favorite of the Laces I've tried before now (I think I only have Antique and Absinthe left to go), Autumn is a total win for me. It is smoky, sexy, and sort of wistful and dignified all at once. I absolutely love the Lab's tobacco note, and here it lends its distinctive bite quite beautifully to the smokiness of the incense and musk and the sweet, slight booziness of the cognac. I didn't care for Black Lace because it seemed too perfumey; Autumn Lace has a distinctive Victorian air about it, but I wouldn't call it perfumey. And the sugar in "sugar spun lace" doesn't pose any problem for me at all, thankfully - sugar almost always turns awful on me. Autumn Lace really embodies the imagery behind it, and I can see it getting heavy rotation in both Fall and Winter, and any time the weather turns rainy and chill. I will wear it when I'm snuggled up on my couch with a good novel, when the mist is creeping along the ground outside. I know that it will only get deeper and richer with age, too. I adore this, but I have no plans to break my loose "no backups" rule because I really hope that when this gets restocked, everyone who wants it will have a shot at it. I will treasure my bottle, for sure! A million thanks to meaganola for group ordering so quickly. ETA: Oh, geez, and the label is fantastic, too.

The first few minutes of this are heavenly: pure, bracing peppermint with a gorgeous underlying creamy sweetness from the vanilla. YUM! I want to, well, lick it - and I inadvertantly did somehow get some on my lip, which actually wasn't fun at all. Anyway, after several minutes of bliss my skin does what it often is wont to do with vanilla (and in this case, the sugar is also probably contributing): it turns to plastic. The mint recedes drastically, so eventually I'm left with just a faint whiff of bandaids. It was so good at the beginning, though.

shrahlend actually described this scent perfectly upthread. This blend was so astringent at first, it almost made my eyes sting...but I couldn't stop putting my nose to my wrist. There was almost a soft leather-like quality to what I was smelling, too. After several minutes, the anise really comes out and blends wonderfully with the patchouli and whatever is lifting things up here (the neroli or mandarin, maybe?). This is a surprise hit for me, unlike anything else that I normally wear. Beautiful, interesting, unique...and super wearable. I am actually considering a bottle, though my budget probably won't allow it. I will definitely use my imp, though, and probably hoard the last drops. I really like this a lot, despite the fact that it probably qualifies as "masculine", or certainly unisex. Not my usual thing at all, but that's the beauty of BPAL.

This smells very fresh, light, and white. It's a super clean sort of fragrance - very pretty, but not my type of scent to wear at all. I think it would go nicely with the coconut/tiare hair gloss.

I bought this as a whim off ebay because I love the Lupercalia scents...and I am so happy I did. When first applied this makes me think of Fruit Loops: I get a sweet berry smell, but it isn't cloying or plasticky sweet, nor too much fruitiness: it's perfect. I can't pick out any singular notes, really; the rose and benzoin (and I suppose my dreaded nemesis, caramel) are just blending beautifully with the red berry to create a scent cloud of feminine allure. I get no booziness per se. It is just gorgeous. The kicker here, and what makes this scent utterly unique, is the pink pepper. It adds the perfect bite to all the above-mentioned sweetness. I can't stop smelling my wrist. I will treasure this half bottle, and probably wear it when I want to feel especially womanly. This is a gauzy-dress-and-heels, extremely killer underthings, romantic sort of perfume. Love it!

What an interesting scent vetiver is! Very smoky, green and brown. Deep. I think of places hidden in the earth and covered with ornamental grasses when I smell this. I will enjoy having my decant, but do not need a bottle. ETA: I put this on again today, and I have to say...I have found a whole new appreciation for vetiver thank to Beth. This now smells delightful to me: very smoky upon application, as in actual brushfire, then it settles into a mellow, earthy scent with a touch of smoky grass. I just freaking love it, and am sad that I didn't continue with my campaign to get all the single notes in bottle form.

I definitely agree with the fresh, tropical, Atomic Luau Lounge vibe. I love this when it's first applied: I get the mint and ginger for sure, with a hint of coconut and zestiness from the lime rind. I don't detect the green tea per se, but I'm sure it's adding a freshness to this scent that is quite nice. Over time, an odd chemical-like note creeps into this on my skin. I'm not sure where that's coming from. After a bit it fades and the scent becomes "island paradise" again. Pretty and fresh, but my beloved Sumai No Sechie fulfills this niche in my perfume box, I think.

The first time I put this on I got a lot of the rich woods and coffee along with the spiced pumpkin, which was very nice - I really liked the way these notes worked together. The second time I applied, it was almost all craft store spices and pumpkin, with the emphasis on the spices. I have it on again now, and it's still super spicy. I think I will enjoy this decant a lot in the oil burner, but it's not something I will wear. I wish the woods, coffee, and patchouli had been able to tame the spicy pumpkin, because that first application was really nice.

This starts out with the Lab's signature spiced pumpkin smell covered by vanilla. Rather pleasant, even if it smells like something I'd rather eat than wear. However, on my skin the triple vanilla whammy amps quickly into nauseatingly oversweet territory. Not for me.

I just wanted to give a shout-out to the Cherokee Rose Single Note Accord. It's my favorite of Beth's roses so far, because its freshness and zing! make it more wearable for me than, say, Peacock Queen. I love PQ, but ultimately I find it too rich to wear. Now I'm off to test the imp of Desire that I think I have...

Who doesn't want a monster in their pants? Sexy sugar-smeared saffron sandalwood over lickable vanilla cream with a splash of butter rum. I've been wanting to try Underpants since I first became a BPALista, but since all the other Monsterbaits seemed to have a plasticky undertone (sometimes OVERtone) on my skin, I figured it was no big deal whether I ever tried it out or not. I'm also very picky about sweet scents: sugar is awful on my skin, and things that are overly gourmand or sickly-sweet actually make me sort of nauseous when I wear them. Still, I was delighted to find a surprise sniffie included in a recent swap with the lovely Glambie - especially since there was just enough to test! Sniffing from the tiny amber vial she gave me, I got a pleasant enough vanilla smell. Okay. *shrug* I put it on, smugly waiting for the anticipated Nasty Plastic to develop so I could say, "The hell with you, Underpants." Sniff. Oh, my. Sniff. OH MY. Vanilla, yes, but a daaaaaaaark, rich, syrupy vanilla that manages to stay just this side of too sweet. The saffron and sandalwood are not identifiable to me as separate notes, but they have to be doing something here to make Underpants greater than the sum of its parts. YUM-ola. I can't stop huffing my wrists. A couple hours later I get just a faint whiff of "wow, your skin smells delicious." Oh, that's my skin. So, yeah. Underpants smells fabulous. Fortunately, vanilla isn't a note that makes my eyes roll back in my head, so I will leave the quest for Underpants to those who really do consider it their Holy Grail vanilla scent. My wallet thanks me.

This was the NYCC exclusive that I really wanted to work (Jenny was my childhood nickname), and the one that I most feared wouldn't. Sadly for me, the latter is the case. Damn you, peach! :@&*$!: I was hoping that the woods and soft flowers would dominate here, but I'm getting a lot of peach and I really, really can't stomach that scent on my skin. Fresh, ripe & juicy piece of fruit in my hand? Smells great. Peach perfume on my wrist? Barf-worthy. I had a similar nauseated reaction to Josie. I'm sure this is gorgeous on some. Not me, though.