detritius

A soft, floral apple with a touch of something musky and spicy underneath. This is a more innocent apple than Poisoned Apple, but it has a nice little kick to it, too. I'm really loving BPAL's apple scents, and this is a definite keeper.

Strong, smokey leather cologne. There might be a hint of citrus brightening up the leather, but I can't be sure. I'm usually better at picking out notes than this, but mostly I'm getting pure, unadulterated man. LIke, this is what I imagine the sexy guys on my TV shows would smell like. I don't get any florals at all, which is preferable, because when my skin decides to amp florals they can become sickly really easily. It also changes with distance -- close up, it's all leather all the time, but from further away, there's a softer, more resiny aura that I really like. This is a well-blended, sophisticated masculine scent.

I was afraid this would go overly-sweet cherry cough syrup on me, and I'm so glad it didn't! The prevalent scent I get is rich, dark wood, like an old manor house, with just a breath of sweetness from the cherries and tartness that I think might be the currents. This is a mature, regal feminine scent. Definitely puts me in the mind of a queen seated imperiously on a dark wood throne.

This is a very dark scent, but somehow comforting, too. Heavy and languid, a perfect stay in bed all day scent. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was what Sloth would smell like.

This is a very bright, lively scent that reminds me of shopping at open air fruit stands in the summertime. I definitely get fresh, juicy fruit, different ones coming at me over time. There's a warm plum and a fresh, almost sinus-clearing citrus at the top, and an indefinable number of other notes underneath. On me, the mix of scents doesn't feel jumbled, just wonderfully complex. I can't stop sniffing my wrists.

Uncontrollable passion and insatiable sexual desire: red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh. Wow! This is a musky, heady scent -- I think I felt my pupils dilate when I put it on! I feel very alert while I'm wearing this, like all the nerves in my skin are firing off at once. There's also something familiar about it -- maybe the patchouli? It reminds me of the place where I get my tattoos done, which, given my tattoo experiences, is a hugely pleasant association.

This is just gorgeous. Smokey leather over a fresh, citrusy cologne. It's sort of equal parts sophisticated and dirty in the best ways. On me, this is very masculine -- bad boy sexy -- but I don't mind at all. If I met a guy who smelled like this, I would jump all over him.

This is straight-up alcohol on me, sharp and strong, with a touch of something piney (is that the juniper?) that I don't think I like. I've had booze scents work for me in the past, but most of those were warmer and sweeter. I think this'll have to be one for the swaps.

This is a juicy, boozy pomegranate. I kind of expected this to morph and soften on me, the way a lot of fruit scents do, but this stayed pretty much the same for the duration. Nice, if not terribly complex.

I was intrigued by the description, but this is one that really didn't work for me. I think it must be the aquatic notes -- I haven't had any luck with those so far. Maybe they just don't get along with my skin. After applying this, the first smell I get is a strong, unpleasant ozone. It's almost a stink bug smell, and I had to resist washing it off right then and there. Fortunately, that disappeared after about five minutes, leaving a sharp but less offensive smell behind. It's much nicer on the drydown, a briny vertiver, but still, not for me. While I do love vertiver, I think I prefer it in spicy scents like Wrath and Bloodlust, and sadly, the aquatic notes are going much more saltwater swamp than ocean on me. I think I'll be swapping this one.

When I saw the notes, I just had to try this, and I wasn't disappointed. This is a bright, sweet peach, rounded by the musk and amber, and deepened by the patchouli into a deep, beautiful scent. Soft and playful, but with a mischievous edge. This also seems like an obvious summer scent to me. In February, I appreciate the reminder of the warmer months, but I can't wait to try this one in July!

A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. I think this is the most innocent BPAL scent I've tried thus far; maybe that's because I tend to go for dark, musky, spicy scents, but this was really something different. It's very clean, soft, and feminine, innocent without ever seeming immature. I can see where the connection to winter and Snow White comes from. It also has a lot more throw and staying power than I would have expected for such a light scent -- it lasted pretty much all day on me.

This is exactly what I wanted it to be, a perfectly crisp, sweet, spiced apple cider. Cider is my very favorite thing about autumn, and it's fantastic to have a little bit of that scent year-round.

I love this. In the decant, I got a very strong honey, and and undertone of leather that came out much stronger once it was wet on my skin. This is a lovely leather too, very soft and sophisticated and not at all sharp. For the first fifteen minutes or so, honeyed leather is all I smell, but as it dries, it develops this delicious smokiness from the myrrh and tobacco. This is a very rich scent, almost masculine, but not in a way that would be out of place on a woman. I'd tentatively describe this as O's rakish older brother. Definitely going to need more of this.

The stickiest thing you shouldn't lick this winter. Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar. This is a cold, sharp, dry Lick It, particularly compared to this year's softer, sweeter Lick It Discreetly. It reminds me of snow, somehow, like the smell of coming snow mixed up with peppermint. Chilly and wintery and oh-so good.

I've been fortunate enough to try a couple of the Lick Its, and this is the sweetest one I've tried, less straight candy cane and more peppermint ice cream (which I LOVE). Cold, sweet, and a little bit sticky, this absolutely says winter and Christmas to me.

This is a lot muskier than I expected, and a lot stronger. It dries down to something very, very nice -- like a very refined and feminine cross between Snake Oil and Hellfire -- but I have to remember not to apply it to heavily in the future.

This is just gorgeous. Fresh, sweet, light, and almost etherial. As it dries down, it turns to a musky vanilla, but I still detect traces of the apple. The scent is almost... crystalline, if that makes sense. I can definitely see where the glitter from the titles comes from. It's beautiful and feminine, but in a really surprising way. I may have to get a bottle of this one.

This is great in a really interesting way. It's sort of a mix of Bazooka Joe bubblegum, something like licorice or star anise, and an undertone of something herbal that keeps it from getting too sweet. Just looking at the notes, it's not something that I would have ordered for myself, but I got it as a freebie, and I'm SO glad I did. Aside from the smell itself, it also seems to be working, lifting me out of a pretty dark mood. I'll definitely be coming back to this one again.

From the name, I didn't expect this to be so sweet and light, almost tropical. It's so bright and lush, without ever edging over into sickly. I'm not generally big on florals, but BPAL seems determined to convert me, and this is one of the scents that might be able to do it. This is also the third Hell scent I've fallen in love with, along with Hellfire and Hellcat. I wonder what that says about me. :0

I was a little anxious to try this scent, because my skin amps rose like woah, and it can easily become sickly and overpowering. The last rose scent I tried, I ended up having to wash it off and gave my imp to a friend who doesn't have my rose troubles. Happily, this one worked out better for me. The rose still came out strong, but the other elements held it back enough for it to be not only wearable, but enjoyable. This is a very sophisticated, feminine blend, not the kind of thing I'd wear every day, but definitely something I'd wear when I need to feel grown up and confident.

I think this has to be my favorite BPAL chocolate blend (at least, that I've tried so far). Bliss is nice too, but I really love the smokiness and depth that Velvet has, probably from the sandalwood and myrrh, and the vanilla gives it a beautiful roundness and warmth. It also doesn't go too sweet on me the way Vice did, which is a huge relief. On me, it has a decent throw that gets more subtle as the day goes on, and it lasts a fairly long time, which is great, because I can't imagine getting tired of this scent.

Mmm. This is a lovely scent, very warm and sweet and mellow. A little foody, but I like foody scents, especially ones with vanilla or cinnamon, so this was great for me. I think this will have to be one of my cheer up scents, for days when it's cold and gray.

In the bottle, this is a wicked, masculine lavender, along with something sharp and almost citrusy, which is odd, because there's no citrus in this. I never thought lavender could be masculine before I got into BPAL, but now I know different. This is definitely more of a cologne than a woman's blend. Wet on my skin, it stays distinctive and masculine but goes a little soapy, although not in a bad way. It smells like something someone would slather on the cover up the scent of his evil deeds. On the drydown, the woods start to come out, mellowing the lavender and cutting some of the soapiness. Eventually, it dried down to something without distinct individual notes, just a sweet, atmospheric blend. It has a good but subtle throw -- I kept getting hints of it throughout the day.

In the bottle, this was very strong and sharp, all booze and almonds. Wet on my skin, the rum opens up and is very prevalent for about the first fifteen minutes before fading into the background. Dry, it mellows into a very soft, very warm scent, almost like a toffee brittle. The rum is still there, but not standing out. It grounds the scent and gives it depth, keeping it from becoming too overpoweringly sweet or foody. Overall, a lovely, sensuous cold weather scent, sweet and feminine without being too girly or innocent. I can definitely see myself wearing this often.