boomtownrat

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It's Christmas Day at the North Pole. All of the deliveries are done. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elves are chilling with some gingerbread, and Santa is filling his pipe with the good tobacco, the kind that he always saves for this day. 

 

I'm a big fan of ginger and gingerbread, whether it's for consuming or smelling. The smell of tobacco has always been pleasant to me. This combination was irresistible. 

 

Out of the handful of BPALs I've tried with a tobacco note, this is most similar to Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand. At every stage, gingerbread is in the background, adding a bit of spice to the tobacco.

 

 

Gingerbread Tobacco is warm and inviting. I could see myself wearing it anytime I want to feel like wearing an olfactory Snuggie.

 

This is every bit as scrumptious as the name and description say. I put some on in the early afternoon and could still smell the sugary, fried-doughy, blueberry-gooey goodness at bedtime. I've tried all the previous Sufganiyots, and Blueberry is second only to Strawberry, for me.

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This has only been off the mail truck for about two hours, because I couldn't wait any longer.

 

In the bottle it's pure, luscious gingerbread. When it's freshly applied, I smell like my favorite kind of gingersnap: thin and a little crispy, like a pepparkakor from Sweden. There's even a little bit of a lemony note, but that subsides as it dries. It ends up as a perfect gingerbread that I want to eat.

This is fresh off the truck because I couldn't wait to try my Yules and frimps.

 

If the Lab's lavender is too herbal, if you think that the addition of sweet sage will make it too green, but you otherwise want to track down an imp and try it, I think you should. After a couple of minutes, the bright lavender and sage settle down into a softer blend. The warm honeyed patchouli and bourbon vanilla sweeten this up and ground it, but the lavender and sage keep it from being cloying. No one note overpowers the others. I can see this being a relaxing evening scent or a calming daytime scent for those who can wear fragrance at work. Incolumitas is a warmer, softer sibling to TKO, and it's Banshee Beat's first cousin once removed.

 

Two imps don't seem like they're going to be enough.

Happy sixth birthday to my bottle of Dragon's Musk! 😄 I'm glad that I gave it so long before reviewing it, because over time it's turned into the scent that I wanted it to be.

 

Lately I've been in a musky mood and in need of empowering scents. I hadn't worn Dragon's Musk in a while, as the dragon's blood resin note has always been more cherry-floral than I'd like it to be. Then someone mentioned in another thread that they think of DM as an autumnal scent and it reminded me that I should try mine again. Coincidentally, I reached for it and saw that I've had it for six years as of this month.

 

Dragon's Musk used to be weirdly salty on me, in addition to that flowery, sweet DBR. I guess the musks were combining in an unusual way, or my nose just got confused, but in any case, it was consistent overy many attempts. But I wanted it to work and I thought it might change a lot with age, so I stored it in my cabinet and waited. I'm glad I did, because at some point, the saltiness faded into the background and the musks have blended gorgeously.

 

As for what musks are in it, I can identify the sensual sweetness of red (or maybe Siberian?) and the lemony tang of black. It's not as heady as you'd think, with so many musks present. Now that it's an older bottle, it's mellowed into something a little more potent than a skin scent, which is why I believe there's skin musk in it. Green musk would make sense and could be the reason for the saltiness. That would leave one last musk, and it could be the "dark musk" note that's also in Titus Andronicus, which feels like a distant cousin to this.

 

It took a few years, but Dragon's Musk is worth the wait. I could wear this everyday as a default scent.

It's exactly like a spicy cream soda in the bottle. When I put it on, the cream soda kind of floats away after it's dry. Then it's like a softer Snake Oil that seems to disappear into my skin too quickly. I'll need to try it again when I'm not in a Halloween costume and have moisturized well.

Something about this is a little pumpkiny. Not like the Lab's usual pumpkin note that goes kind of buttery on my skin, but closer to the one in Jack. I assume it's mostly the caramelized saffron, with the help of clove bud. The smoked chili peppers are reminiscent of Raven Moon 2012, but milder, and they come out more when applied to my throat and higher up my arm.

Mexican Long-Tongued Bat is comforting, subtle, and perfectly autumnal. As good as it is now, I believe it's going to get even better and could be worthy of a backup bottle.

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In the bottle and while it's wet, Pomegranate Grove: Morocco smells like Kool-Aid spiked with mulling spices. When it dries the spices come out more, but it's faint. I don't get Morocco from it at all yet, but maybe that will emerge with age. The pomegranate isn't as strong as it is in Persephone, which is the most similar scent I own. It doesn't make me think of Halloween specifically, but it's a scent to wear when I'm tired of being hot and just want autumn to get here already. In other words, it's appropriate for October in North Carolina.

 

My skin eats this right up, so I'd have to slather and keep reapplying if I wanted to smell it at all by lunchtime. I applied it on my throat, on the sides of my neck, on the inner and outer wrists, and in the crooks of my elbows. An hour and a half after applying, I had to lift my wrists to my nose and huff. Now, in the late afternoon, there's a ghost of the pomegranate remaining on the back of my left wrist and it's gone from everywhere else. It might have more throw and staying power in my scent locket. It's certainly pleasant, but not something I'll need more of after I finish this bottle.

This is the beautiful vanilla blend that I've been looking for all along, like a softer cousin to The Antikythera Mechanism and Tombstone. It's simple, like most of my favorites, and easy to wear. The sweet vetiver blends gorgeously with the bourbon vanilla and wool. It makes me think of a perfect autumn day somewhere in a cool climate, when the skies are a rich blue that contrasts with the orange leaves. I think it will be glorious and long-lasting in a scent locket too.

A big reason I wanted this was because I love Hela and Cate Blanchett but I also had a feeling all the notes would be wonderful together. I always want to try musk and amber scents if I can, and to have them together was irresistible.

 

Musk is the main attraction as The Queen of Hel dries on my skin. It reminds me of another musk that I remember from the '80s but can't quite place. The leather is a beautiful complement to the musk and the green amber floats around it all like a glowing cloud, truly luminescent as the description says (how does Beth do it?). It's soft, like zankoku_zen said. This is Hela when she's feeling a little more mellow, not on a rampage.

 

I feel a bit stronger and more confident when I wear this, like I'm wearing bad-ass black leather armor.

The only patchouli-based scent I've tried that was this dry and woody was Malediction, but Dragonsplaining isn't nearly as stanky and loud as that one. It doesn't smell like a cookout, but rather, more like the fire before you've begun to cook. I get no sweetness from it, but it's slightly green at first. It's really not cedar itself but the smoke, just as the description says.

 

Worn only on my wrists, its throw was plenty noticeable but not overpowering, so I'll probably not wear it on my throat or behind my ears.

The hilarious name and label art had me halfway ready to buy this even before I looked at the notes, but I had to think about it to make sure it wasn't just because it made me laugh. I'm happy that I decided to ask my friend to pick it up for me, because it's even better than I thought it would be.

The patchouli-geranium combination is like a cousin to Sic Erit, one of my favorite BPAL scents. DBR doesn't overpower the other notes, as it can sometimes do on my skin. Black pepper makes an appearance in the beginning and smoothes out as it dries. Agarwood blends with the mellow, soft patchouli. Everything is well balanced and I can see this getting better with age.

Sweet, woody resin fragrances work on me better than almost anything, so I'm not sure why I ever hesitated over this at all. The name and label art are just bonuses. I just hope someone will ask me what I'm wearing.

I'm not sure what kind of honey this is, but in the bottle it's a little funky and combines with the patchouli in a slightly sour way. I think the "sticks" are actually a note in this, not just straight up honey. As is usually the case, the way it smells in the bottle isn't how it smells on the skin.

When I apply it on the back of my wrist it reminds me of what Feed Me and Fill Me with Pleasure smelled like when it was fresh. On the inside of my wrist there's nothing I can compare it to, but the cinnamon is much more present. It's the most well-balanced combination of notes when applied on my throat, more like Feed Me.

This is not the gnarly black patchouli, but more of the woody red kind. I might find it safe to wear around people who don't like patchouli. It's not loud at all, but I'm sure it's going to deepen with age.

When I open the bottle, a waft of pink bubblegum jumps up into my nose to make me smile. On my skin, the bubblegum is at the forefront until it dries, when it becomes a sugary version of Snake Oil. If you love the original Snake Oil, then I think you'll want this, too. I'm thinking of buying another bottle before they come down.

I've never met the Barrials, but I can really tell there's a lot of love and happiness between mother and daughter in this scent.

I've never tried the original Silk Road, so I can't make any comparisons.

 

When I got my bottle yesterday, I couldn't wait to try it. I tested a bit in the crook of one elbow last night, where I got a hot ginger, neroli, and cinnamon combination, but it had only been off the mail truck for a few hours at the time. Today I'm wearing it on the backs of both wrists, where it bursts forth with cinnamon, cassia, tea, a little sandalwood, maybe some sweet frankincense. For the first half hour or so it reminds me of a less overpowering Poison with a tea note instead of the fruitiness that I normally smell in Poison. After about two hours the cinnamon and cassia have stepped back a little to make way for tea, ginger, sandalwood, and frankincense. The throw is less strong at this stage but it's still wafting.

 

It's somewhere between the sweet softness of Morocco and the spicy headiness of Baghdad. For those who have smelled Economic Recovery, the Black Friday/Cyber Monday frimp from a few years ago, this is like a sister to that.

 

At first I was concerned that it might give me a headache, as Poison could sometimes do when a lot of girls wore it in high school, but it doesn't. In fact, I'm compelled to keep smelling my wrists to figure out all the layers of notes. Still, I will apply it sparingly because it goes a long way, and I'll give it an hour or so to settle down before going anywhere if I know I'll be around people who might be sensitive to perfume.

 

This seems like the kind of oil that will age wonderfully.

Original Umbra is one of my favorite BPALs, but I didn't discover its aged magnificence until after it was discontinued. I've only had a single imp that I was afraid to use more than once every few months until this resurrection was announced, and it became a holy grail. When I saw the announcement for this resurrection, I squealed and bought a bottle right away, with plans to buy more after I pay some bills. I'll be buying backups for sure. The bottle arrived on Monday and I couldn't wait to smell it, but I let it rest for a couple of days before I gave it a try.

The overall effect of Umbra - Resurrected smells a bit like you're storing sticks of real cinnamon bark in a cedar box. Based on what I can remember of the original when it was fresh, the cedar is a little more prominent and there's probably less vetiver. This isn't overpowering on me, but I'm going to apply it sparingly because it's kind of dirty, like the original. (If you prefer clean scents then you probably weren't looking at this anyway.) I feel it will be a nighttime and weekend scent, when I've always liked to wear the original, and probably best saved for the cool months. It's got the potential to smell a little too dirty when body heat amps it.

This is an empowering yet calming scent that I think will work on any gender.

Since late 2011 I've been holding onto the same imp of the original Baghdad that I bought off an eBay seller as part of a lot of imps and decants. As a newbie to BPAL at the time, it seemed like the best way to go. On that first occasion, I made the mistake of applying original Baghdad on both wrists and on my throat, giving myself a terrible headache. My husband, who has a bad sense of smell, said it was strong even from across the room. After that experience, I knew I couldn't handle more than a single dab of Baghdad on one wrist.

Baghdad - Resurrected was deceptively quiet when it was wet on my skin, but I'm glad I wasn't fooled into applying more. Once it dried, I got the heavy, heady perfume that I get from the original Baghdad. I caution you against putting on your regular amount until you know how Baghdad - Resurrected affects you. Yes, this has a narcotic effect if applied too heavily. I think it must be the Bulgar rose, as that's the only note in this that I haven't smelled in something else.

As this ages, I imagine it will be nearly identical to the original Baghdad. Just like the original, something in it reminds me of a perfume that my mom owned but found too strong to wear--Cinnabar, if I remember correctly. This one bottle is going to be more than enough for me, since I will only be wearing it sparingly and probably on special occasions, when I want to feel sophisticated. This is perfume fit for a pair of silky black harem pants and a simple black blouse, or a little black dress. If you're looking for an elegant perfume in BPAL form, consider Baghdad - Resurrected.

I want to enjoy Kumiho because I love most anything ginger, but that tea note really is sharp, biting, and crisp on me, turning this initially light scent into a potential brain spike after it dries. Almost without fail, fragrances that other people describe as "clean" are bound to trigger migraines or push me right to the brink of one before I wash off the scent. My skin turbo-charges both the white tea and the ginger. Both of these notes have worked for me in other BPAL scents that contain sweet, round, or dark notes to smooth over the astringency. I may try a test layering with something sweet, something vanilla, like Snake Oil or Morocco.

This is the 2018 reissue.

 

On my skin, Hal is a fairly short-lived whisper of jasmine and honey with a base of wood. I want it to last longer, to speak up just a little more without getting too loud. With time, or perhaps on a hot day, maybe that will happen. Having said that, this is the quality of jasmine that I wanted. I'm sure it will work wonderfully for those times when I want to smell of jasmine without knocking myself or anyone around me for a loop.

As a fan of Streets of Detroit, Haunted, and Goblin, I immediately added this to my cart upon reading the notes. It turns out that the OLLA scent that Hyakki Yagyō reminds me of is Kit. Somehow, it's putting me in mind of a softer, lighter Kit with coconut. It's not demonic on me at all, but there's a suggestion of incense somewhere in a back room of a dimly lit old house late at night. This truly could've been an OLLA scent, so if you missed those, you might like this as an adjacent type of scent. My nose might be broken, my skin chemistry might be wonky, or it might be true. In any case, I love it. There's not as much throw as you might expect, but it lasts for hours.

My bottle has only settled from shipping overnight, but I was impatient. I'm a poet and I've wanted a poetry-inspired BPAL scent for a while now, so I've been hoping that Scraps of Poetry would be something I could love.

When I opened the bottle yesterday, all I could smell was a zingy citrus chypre and yellow bergamot. In the 22 or so hours since then, it's softened up but those are still the two notes that dominate in the bottle and on my wrists. There's the tiniest hint of lavender. I'm not sure how clove bud differs from the usual clove note, but I don't get anything that I recognize as clove. Citrus and bergamot seem to dominate every time I wear them so your mileage may vary.

For me, this is more Elizabeth Barrett Browning than any other poet that comes to mind. It's a soft, golden-pink, almost powdery type of floral that would be nice for wearing at a wedding. Many of the sharper, heady florals are a problem for me, but none of those notes are in this one and it isn't setting off any headache alarm bells. It doesn't have a ton of throw, so it's the kind of floral that shouldn't bother the people around you as long as you don't slather.

I'm sure it's going to change somewhat, but Scraps of Poetry doesn't strike me as the kind of fragrance that's going to age into something dramatically different. I don't think this is very "me," but I'll keep it and see how it changes once it settles.

Champaca and sweet amber wrap me up like like a warm hug when I wear this. All the other notes play more of a supporting role. If you're concerned about it being too strong, too dirty, I can say that there's nothing overpowering or dirty about Wynter Wakeneth Al My Care. I find it comforting and beautiful. It's only going to become more stunning with age.

The "Frostbitten" note in this is instantly recognizable from the bottle of Frostbitten Dorian. I've never tried Snow White, so I can't speak to that aspect of it.

 

I own several bottles of Snake Oil from various years, as well as bottles of several Snake Oil-based variants. For me this is the lightest Snake Oil of them all, though it does stick around for hours.

 

When it's wet, this is like sniffing a memory of Snake Oil at the edge of a snowy pine forest. I'm not sure where I got the pine note, but it's fleeting. For a brief time during the dry-down things turn a bit sharp, going all Snake Oil spices without the vanilla. Then it settles into a light, pretty, chilly vanilla with a trace of the Snake Oil spices. I believe that skin chemistry and where I apply it both make a big difference in how it smells.

 

Edit on December 22, 2017: Just a day or two after I wrote this review, I noticed that if I'm warm when I wear this, the scent transforms into something similar to a body lotion that I used to love from Bath and Body Works called Sinful Vanilla. I have wanted a BPAL equivalent to that for six years, since I first got into BPAL. This is better because it doesn't have any of the chemical undertones of the lotion. Now I'm definitely going to need more bottles.

Frostbitten Dorian is the kind of BPAL that you could use to enable someone who is used to more commercial perfumes. It's not that it's perfumey, but it's quite sugary, a bit floral, and a bit light-musky. There's a hint of tea with lemon, but on me, the sweet snowy note dominates the blend. (I've yet to try Snow White, so I can't say how the snow note compares to it and will defer to what the other reviews say.) Something in it reminds me of Lick It Softly, as though they're siblings: one musky-floral and one minty. If you think Dorian could be sweeter, try Frostbitten Dorian.

 

As for me, I think I need to wear it on my wrists and not my throat, because it does have a fair bit of throw on me. Wear length is hard to gauge, but I put it on in the early evening and it was still going strong close to midnight when I went to sleep.

 

This would be good for work or any social gathering where I don't want to overwhelm others with a heady scent. I could see this being perfect for a winter wedding.

 

Edit 1/8/2018: After almost a month, I'm finding Frostbitten Dorian is getting too strong for me to wear because it makes me feel like I'm going to get a headache. I'm not sure if it's ageing that way or if I'm in some kind of hormonal phase (or maybe it's the unusually cold weather). I have wiped it off to get to the sweeter, more wearable late stages every time I've tried to wear it, which I've only done four times at most. Maybe it would be better on my husband.

The Lion had been on my must-try-eventually list for years, but somehow I had never bought it. I'm so glad that the Lab frimped it to me, because this is an instant love.

 

In the '90s I wore amber essential oil often, so I associate it with black eyeliner and deep burgundy lipstick, World Serpent Distribution and Projekt Records, striped tights and ripped fishnets, alt.gothic and Take a Bite. Amber is my twenties in a bottle. The Lion brings all of that back to me, because I get pure amber oil with just a trace of cinnamon and a memory of saffron. There might be a ghost of clove in there, or that might be my brain telling me so because cloves were, of course a huge part of '90s goth.

 

When I place another Lab order, I'm going to need a bottle of The Lion. It continues my streak of successes with the Mad Tea Party.