bellumed

Nostril-clearing pine and oozy sap, tickles my nose. I can see what other people are saying about it as a Yule/Christmas scent, though if I were to use it as such, I would prefer a little less of the woodsy feel. What others are describing as “fruity” is where I’m getting the sap, I think. It’s a little too thick and plant-y for me to see it as fruity. Actually the word I keep thinking of is “stinksap,” haha. It is indeed quite pungent, though it doesn't smell bad. Maybe it’s just the woods and the Yuletide quality, but this reminds me quite a bit of Samhain. It’s a pleasant smell but not one for me. I just can’t do “forest,” apparently.

In imp: Hmm, smoky chocolate. This could be good. On me: Whoa. That's... different. Herbal-metallic lemon Play-doh. Smells sort of like a combination between Embalming Fluid and the TAL Steady Work. A few hours later, the chocolate has come out a bit, but in a very dry, powdery form. Not for me, I'm thinking.

I've worn ACJM at least a half dozen times now, and I'm finally gonna review it, dammit! It smells “sunny.” I’ve never tried any BPAL that smelled quite this bright. A little candyish and citrusy, maybe lemony. Or something more obscure like pineapple or some other tropical fruit. With extra sweetness making it smell like gum. At one point when I was trying to identify the scent, I remember settling on "lemon and caramel." An unusual combination, but that's what it smells like to me! It is indeed a very happy, joyful scent. I definitely get lemon from it, as I wafted my arm past my nose at one point and thought "did I put on Dorian today?" before I remembered what I was testing. On my skin it's still nice, citrusy, but just not as exciting. It becomes too subtle and simple, I think. If I ever invest in a scent locket, I'll have to try Aunt Caroline in it.

Whoa, major morpher! That doesn't happen to me often. It's not the changes were dramatic, more that they were constant over several hours. In the imp: typical bubblegum-candy-fruit smell, although without the “bright and bubbly little girl” association I usually have with that. There's a touch of something unusual here. On me: Surprisingly, more subtle than I would've guessed. Strange, though, I’m not sure what to make of it. I… kind of like it? And kind of don’t. Plummy, certainly, but the rest is indistinct. For some reason, at one point a couple hours in, I was struck with the thought that Bordello was a "happy" scent, even though I didn't love it. Eventually, it became something a little bit sour, not very pleasant. Next time I sniffed, it had turned almost gummyish. Then later, it was fermented plum gummies. Then plums and booze. Then just plums. Dang, this blend moves fast-- how appropriate! I think I'll have to pass on this one, not my thing.

It’s not surprising, given the notes, that is smells very woodsy. Dirty-earthy, some sharp “pine needle” stuff going on too. I can see where people are getting a weed comparison, but I like the scent of pot so that’s fine by me! This is the sort of blend I would rarely wear but still enjoy smelling. If I go looking for it, I can maybe start to smell some of the “dry, scorched earth” feel that the painting evokes. Pretty unisex, this one. Interesting, on my skin I’m getting a nutty sort of smell, the ambrette seed? Mmm, I feel like snuffling my wrists. I would never pick out Triumph of Death for myself based on the notes or inspiration, but it’s really quite nice! Earthy-sweet.

Tonight for Christmas Eve: Mother Shub's Gingerbread Temples Christmas Morning: Sweet Lavinia's Dread Puddings Later on Christmas: Mother Shub's Cthulhustollen

Anathema has a dark, thick sort of scent. Initially on my skin, it actually brings to mind the smell of cola, maybe helped along by the sweet floral of the honeysuckle. And yes, a smoky, smothering opium-vetiver along with it. After a couple hours, it actually went powdery as well. If this blend was a color, it would be a dark, dusty purple. Deeply, deeply not my kind of perfume, but interesting.

I like all of these notes, so Akuma was pretty disappointing to me. Very faint, even after I slathered it on. Just the vague scent orange, pleasant enough but far too mild.

In the imp, Aeval is hugely reminiscent of my B&BW Sweet Pea shower gel: sweet pea and soap. On my skin, it's a completely different scent: the sage takes over and turns it into a nice, quiet blend. It's light but not flowery-delicate because the sage makes it earthier without being full-on herbal. Aeval is a pretty modest perfume on me, but I'm happy to have the imp and will wear this occasionally.

Unisex, heavy on the carrot seed, backed up by the earthy-sweet of the patchouli and balsam. Poor white tea doesn't stand much of a chance among these dominant scents, but maybe a sensitive nose can get more than mine can. Smells little brighter in the decant and darker on my skin. This is most definitely not a typical perfume/cologne; even by BPAL standards, this is pretty unusual stuff. The carrot seed in particular.

We use the word "spicy" to describe a lot of things here, so this might be completely off-base, but have you tried any carnation blends? A lot of people consider that a "spicy floral."

Going with Solitary and Abhorred today! I am with my family, no message meant by the name. I just think it makes a good Thanksgiving scent.

In the imp, I can smell pumpkin and borderline-bubblegum chai, presumably from the coconut sugar. On me, thank goodness, it is more distinctly chai now, though the pumpkin has also disappeared. And definitely spicy as well. Mmm, okay, I’m definitely getting the “curled up with mug of chai” feel now. This one is good for late fall and winter, I think. Something a little spicy-tickley too, but hell if I know which of the notes it is (damn you, untrained nose). A few hours later, when the scent is fading away, the bubblegum touch is back again. The mango never made an appearance, which was disappointing for me: mango is one of my favorite scents. Glad I picked up the decant, but there's no need for a bottle.

I think High John the Conqueror sounds just right for that.

So what is everyone wearing today and tonight for Halloween? I wasn't sure which Weenie to test today, so in the end I decided to go with a staple-- nothing says Halloween to me like Jack! Third Charm, tonight, maybe? And Samhain tomorrow!

Oh, man, Sugar Skull. This is a tough one. In the imp and wet, I don’t care for it at all. It has a very odd scent that’s kind of fruity and maybe boozy—it’s not good, but I wouldn't say it smells like licorice. Anise has a very particular (and godawful) scent to me. However, as Sugar Skull dries on my skin, I do start to like it. It’s a sour lemon candy, like a Lemonhead, with just a tiny and bearable hint of the old booziness lingering in the background. No staying power at all, though; it was gone within two hours. I guess I’ll just keep the decant? Try this one if you like Lolita.

In imp: there is something weird in this, not quite chemical, but almost there. It’s making me nervous. If I had to point a finger, I’d lay the blame on the pomegranate, but I can’t be sure. But, hey, happy ending! The longer it’s on my skin, the better it gets. Just the right combo of sharp apple, sweet berries, and waves of apple blossom, YUM. I can’t think of many blends that would be more perfect for September. Maybe not the greatest wear length, but eh, not the end of the world.

"Also for those on a budget, the website of L.A.'s Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs offers an entire spooky, scented world." On a budget. Ahahaha. Oh, if only you knew.

Boo '12: Starts off dessertlike but not in a pleasant way, more like in the family of cream cheese frosting and marshmallows, too sweet and a little off. As it dries, well, the Lab is spot on as always: clear scent of freshly laundered linens and marshmallow fluff. At one point I may have gotten a brief whiff of coconut? Sort of sickly on and off (this may be attributed to the “coconut” thing, we’re not the best of friends), this reminds me quite a bit of Sue’s Great Old Puppet Show. A few hours later, it’s more of a straightforward sugar and cream. I may swap this one, I’m not overly in love with it.

It's crazy how different people's reactions can be to BPAL. My roommate's immediate response to smelling the imp was "Ooh! Very pumpkin-y! And spicy!" As for me, I get a quick whiff of spice as I open the imp (and no or barely any pumpkin), quickly pushed out of the way by the scent of fizzy lifting drinks! The Lab’s ability to bottle the effect of carbonation never fails to delight me. I also get some citrus with an edge, from the lemon juice. On my skin, the bubbles start to fade away over time, as they always do. I can certainly smell ginger ale; it reminds me of Bon Vivant, which I've always gotten ginger ale from rather than champagne. What remains is mostly the dry smell of the booze. I would've liked this one more if it stayed as it was in the imp, but I like it well enough anyway.

Nothing foody about this on me. Would've liked some vanilla, caramel, and carnation... instead got the sandalwood, patchouli, and booze. Oh well, I guess.

Imp: Grape that almost goes to Kool-Aid, but with an herbal edge to prevent that. Wet: It smells like grape medicine, but thankfully it’s not strong enough to be obnoxious. Dry: As it dries, High John loses the Kool-Aid entirely and most of the medicine to become a leafy scent, and then, yes, it develops a laundry vibe. Clean smelling and a little grapey. I can see where some people are smelling cologne; for me HJtC wavers on the line of laundry detergent and cologne, closer to laundry. High John the Conqueror is inoffensive but not particularly interesting to me. It doesn't last long, I can't smell it at all a few hours later. I will say that I had a very confident, happy day, but I'm not sure I would chalk that up to voodoo.

Oh, this is nice. The dominant notes here for me are the peach and red musk. It's the descriptors that make this blend interesting: Chinese peach is somewhat drier than the juicy peach I might expect. As for " red vegetal musk," it lives up to its name, plant-like or earthy, grounding, I guess. I like Mischievous Spirit because it's a little fruity but doesn't have that have that big, bubbly quality some fruit blends have. In the end, this creates a light, fresh scent that would be well-suited to late spring or early summer IMO.

In imp: pumpkin coffee bread. Mmmmmm! On me: Immediately blooms into cinnamon goodness (the gentle cinnamon of baked goods, rather than the hot cinnamon of candy), with that lovely pumpkin bread in the background. I reapplied last night to go out, and when I woke up this morning my wrist smelled like coffee-flavored syrup. Handy and amusing! Notably, I got a very strange fruity odor when I tested this once before, so I’m glad I tried again—-just a passing skin chemistry thing, I hope. Now it’s foodie and wonderful.

A sour cacao and wood scent, quite similar to Ein Kuss Von Krampus. The cacao smell is stronger in the imp than on my skin, where this blend becomes a dry bark (maybe just a little bit powdery, not very noticeable). I prefer something a little sweeter and more feminine, so I think this will have to go to swaps.