fiddlehead

Mandrake smells very dirt-like on me

I knew this would be a favorite. Wafts of Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, patchouli (nice, like tea leaves not hippie) and plum with red musk. Can't smell the pomagranate. It morphs like crazy. It's a very complex scent, for sure. I may need a bottle of this if I get through my imp. Thank goodness it's up until 2007! ETA: I've been wearing this a lot lately and I've decided that it is better and more interesting than either Snake Oil or Snake Charmer. I compared it with Snake Charmer today and though SC is nice it really doesn't have the depth and complexity of Mme. Moriarty. When I'm done with my imp I'm ordering a bottle, no question

I'm going to recommend The Phantom Calliope (Carnaval Diabolique), which I just got finished testing. On me, this dried down into a very spicy cardamom scent, with wafts of cinnamon (though that isn't a listed note).

This is a very beautiful tea scent. It reminds me quite a lot of White Rabbit but without the nose-stinging pepper. I'm going to compare the two side by side but, yeah. It was familiar when I put it on and that's why! I really like both White Rabbit and this. They're clean smelling without being ozone-y or too floral. ETA: This dried down to a very light minty scent. No tea left. Not at all like White Rabbit in the later stages. It's nearly gone now, and I slathered it on when I got out of the shower about 30 minutes ago.

Oooh. This starts with a blast of cherry. Then it calms down and the black currant, cardamom and verbena come out and blend in. This does remind me of Alone because of the cardamom. And now, after a minute or two the fruit seems to have almost disappeared and I'm left with the cardamom and verbena. Nice, but I was hoping the fruit would last. If the fruit had stuck around a bit more this would have been a winner. I'll have to try it a few more times and see how it goes. I do love cardamom, though.

Xanthe was the one CD oil I figured I wouldn't like. I'm usually not that fond of fruit scents, but I'm trying to branch out. Annnnd....It's really nice! It smells much like fresh guava juice at first. Sugary, fruity, sweet, thick. It's got a bit of a bite to it, which I guess is the pepper. The other notes blend nicely to make it more than just a guava scent. I doubt I need a whole bottle, but this imp is going to get lots of love in the Summer.

Hmm. I feel like I've gotten a different bottle from everyone else! When I put this on I immediately get a sour note that I've come to associate with my least happy BPAL moments. Is it Frankincense I'm smelling? Whatever it is, I'm not liking it. I smell the wood element at times, the Redwood, some wood chips. Pepper, I'm not sure I'm getting. But every once in awhile I get a strong whiff of a freshly opened pack of cigarettes. Not a horrible smell, but not one I want to have wafting off of me. I am not getting anything I could describe a "juicy". And certainly nothing sweet. This is very strange. I'll have to see if it works on my husband. But right now, I don't think this will be a keeper. ETA: Then again. After awhile, the sourness subsides. I'm getting used to the tobacco. And it's finally dried down into something with possibility. The sweetness turned up, though not anything juicy. Maybe it will age well and that sourness will go away. I think I may just not be used to the less simple scents or something ETA: I've worn this several times now and on me it's an incense blend, straight up. Like The Caterpiller or Urd but without the jasmine or muscadine components. There are other notes floating around but it's still screams incense!

Urd. Another variation on eau du headshop It's such a favorite of so many folks though, I felt I had to try it. I'm beginning to think this sort of scent might be a comfort smell for the children of hippies/boomers, which makes perfect sense! As someone else mentioned, this is the smell of years and years of incense burning, seeping into all of the porous objects in the room. After several minutes I can really smell the grape. This oil doesn't seem to last on me, but maybe my nose is just tired after a day of testing

The Caterpillar takes me right back into the many headshops I have visited in my life. Jasmine incense, all the way! I can catch a whiff of the carnation if I concentrate. The moss seems to be hiding shyly behind the beaded curtain in the back An amazing evocation of a place. A different kind of headshop smell than Luperci. Will I wear it? Only to the gatherings of true hippie musicians at which I occasionally end up. It'll take 'em right back to their youth

Blood Kiss begins with a blast of cherry, which reminds me very much of Vice. Ah, but underneath is a bit of vetiver (good at picking that out now!) and pungent clove. I'm not really getting any wine. Some vanilla but no honey. Poppy, I've never smelled so I can't say for sure. Maybe it's adding to the earthiness of this oil. This is really unique. After a bit I mostly get a cherry/clove mixture, heavy on the clove. Like many of BPALs oils, I expect this one to smell a bit different to me over time. But so far I really like this. The clove and vetiver keep the cherry from making me smell like a tootsie pop (which Vice did, big time!)

Mandrake is both soil and wood on my skin. I like it a lot. It's very soft and is another scent that may take some slathering to get the full effect. Part of the cap broke off when I opened the imp so I guess I'll be using this as quickly as I can

Wolfsbane is not what I expected at all. First applied to my skin, I can barely smell it. It seems to have disappeared. If I stick my nose right up against where I applied it, I smell....cedar? And something green and herb-ish. Very subtle. This one will take some getting to know. It may be great slathered. ETA: Wow, now it's gone sharply herby! What a morpher this is. Medicinal, slightly poisonous smelling. Wolfsbane indeed!

Another one I get to try, thanks to the Labbies! I wouldn't know the scent of rhododendrons nor bellflowers. What I recognize right off is grapefruit blended nicely with springtime flowers. Thankfully, I'm not getting the aquatic note of doom in this. And even though I *think* I smell Lily of the Valley, it's balanced nicely with the grapefruit so that I don't want to go wash this off This is a very pretty blend!

Strong red wine! Whew. But wait...there's the honey and something that is reminding me a bit of Anubis but with that tart wine note. Not getting any florals. Maybe that other mysterious note is myrrh? This is really fascinating. I love Anubis and this has got a bit of the same vibe to it. Unusual and ancient smelling. What a suprise this was. Thanks to the labbies for letting me try it ETA: Oh, my god. I've worn this all morning and keep wondering what that lovely scent is wafting around. Somehow, it seems like a friendlier scent than Anubis. Which makes sense, I suppose.

This is my favorite of all the figgy oils I've tried. It actually does remind me of the scent of cut fig branches when I trim my fig tree back. Swirling amongst the green notes are easily discernable notes of coconut and sandalwood. I don't get a lot of almond, thankfully. It's a fresh, green, slightly sweet scent on my skin. Very nice! Reminds me of the end of Summer.

Ochosi. I'd never smelled Shea Butter before so I was unsure what to expect. On me, this starts out with a creaminess backed up by a green/herbal smell. The creaminess is very unusual to me. Nice, though. After awhile the green comes out again and Ochosi turns into something very similiar to Nocnitsa on me. Same green/Spruce note and an almost fruity thing going on. The Shea gives it a softer feel, though. It's not as strong as Nocnitsa. I'll have to wear it a few more times to see which I like best

Strangler Fig is lovely and green smelling at first. I was really excited when I first put it on. If it had stayed like that it would be a keeper. But after about 30 minutes it dries into a sweet amber-y, powdery scent. Not at all like a vine or tree.

This scent confused my nose something awful. Powdery grapefruit, sharp! Lavender and current? Musk? I felt like I'd crushed up some of those Smartie candies into powder and snorted them. Owww! So, very much not for me, though I gave it two tries

Luperci smells like a hippie store/head shop to me! Not incensy so much as a blend of incense and oils and all the other stuff a shop like that would sell. You might try to get a bottle of that, or a decant. It was an LE, unfortunately.

I have AC in my room where all my oils are kept. Usually it doesn't get above 75 or 80. It was 115 here yesterday (N. California foothills). No rolling blackouts yet but we may get them today

These are the ones that really cling for me. It's part of the reason many of them are in my top 10 Voodoo Lenore Snake Charmer Zombi Litha O Premature Burial Cathedral/Pit and the Pendulum Scherezade Malediction Black Annis Arcana Samhain 05 Omen Cracked Bell Red Phoenix

Litha was definitely worth the wait. Honey mead...drool. I catch a whiff of the Thyme, something tart/herby, and a bit of the oakwood and the copal with honeysuckle drifting in and out. Damn I think I can even smell the Ivy. The other notes I can't pick out yet. Perhaps with repeated wearing I will be able to. Beth outdid herself on this one. Very complex but with the honey mead taking the lead. This one will be getting a lot of wear before Summer goes away ETA: I woke up from a nap with this delicious scent coming off of me and it took me a minute to think what it was. Litha turned into an even more sweet and natural/musky smelling oil while I slept. I totally get what Zenvodunista said in her review. This is kind of naughty, this oil!

Love Me was a frimp in my last order. Thanks Labbies! Yowza! Jasmine, followed closely by cinnamon. Getting a little burning sensation where I put it on the back of my hand. I'll have to be careful with this one, maybe mix in with lotion. This is a complex blend, somewhat reminicent of Voodoo, as someone else noted. I can't identify the other notes. Maybe some vanilla? Something vaguely medicinal smelling, as well. I have no idea. Whatever it is I don't think I've smelled it before. Anyway, I like it best of all the Voodoo blends I've tried. It's pretty unusual.

Mmm. Le Petit Mort starts out smelling very much like discontinued B&BW aromatherapy lotion, Ylang Ylang and Myrrh. Heady, sweet flowers. It dries down and eventually loses that similarity and I smell something that I'd swear is Dragon's Blood. Then it gets a little powdery. Not sure about this one. If it stayed the way it is wet I'd be tempted to get a big bottle. But it's getting more and more powdery as time goes on. Not liking it now...

The Mad Hatter was a frimp included in an order a few months ago. I took a sniff and it didn't appeal to me, so I put it in the "try later" box. As soon as it hit my skin I was in love It started out very minty, a bit like Envy. But then this lovely sweet smell came up underneath the mint. I think it's the lavender. I can sort of detect some soft citrus, but not too much. It dries into a soft minty/lavender with a touch of powder. Usually I don't like the scents that remind me too much of baby powder but it's subtle in the Mad Hatter. Just enough to soften the mint. Masculine?? Not to me. Just fresh and herby with a little something different added to the Envy-like minty-ness. I'm very happy to have found something I can rotate with Envy for a fresh, cool - but - not- ozone - scent! I'm going to try it today and refresh it tonight to see if it works against mosquitos as well as smelling great ETA: Annnd, it's already pretty much gone. What's left has no mint, just the sweet sort of powderish smell. Reminds me a bit of Dorian, for some reason. Still, it's a nice scent and worth re-applying as needed.