Poenari

Initially on my skin I smelled a slightly soapy rose note, so I looked up the notes before trying to identify anything further. OK, so there is rose here, and it is the kind that turns to soap on me. Disappointing. But the rose hasn't amped to eleven as so often happens with soapy rose notes, so that's a plus. After about 15 minutes, I can smell the lily and something else that is slightly green but woody at the same time. Overall, this remains a white floral scent to me, and while it's very pretty, it's not in my wheelhouse. It smells like a room full of funeral flowers and greenery to me- there's that combination of pretty floral with a hint of sadness. I'm happy to have the decant and that I had a chance to try this.

Lilac-forward, with a slight powdery floral, and an undertone of something that makes me wrinkle my nose, as if it's almost sour. This is a very unusual floral scent with an old-world feeling. I adore lilacs, but the overall scent of this on my skin is not for me. I'm happy to have a decant and to have tried this. It's the "Push Me Pull Me" of Crimson Peak perfumes!

This is a beautiful myrrh-dominant scent on my skin, but a darker myrrh than the one in Little Egypt, for example. This myrrh doesn't turn as powdery on me as myrrh can. I think it's due to the poppy, which my skin loves. The musk and sandalwood are so nicely blended into this that they don't stand out as individual notes, but complete the scent of darkness and shadows. Perfect representation of the name!

Smoky vetiver, dark and deep. I like vetiver so this doesn't scare me off. I don't smell the other notes as individuals, but there is a hint of something else dark and resinous blending into the vetiver enough to keep it from being a single note. Very strong throw and long-lasting. Perfectly named scent!

My husband has been a woodworker for as long as I've known him, which probably contributes to my love of wood scents. Rosewood is a favorite of mine, given that I don't have to fear the soapiness I get from so many varieties of actual roses. This perfume is a lovely rosewood scent upon application, pretty and feminine. Upon drydown, the slightest hint of soapy rose comes out on my skin, but I have to really search for it to detect the soap. After 30 minutes, the rosewood is gone and I'm left with a soft soapy rose. This isn't a scrubber for me but it's not one that I would reach for. For those looking for a soft sweet pinkish rose scent with a vintage feel, this is for you. It would also be very nice for a young girl or teen. Edited to add: 7/19/24 I have really adjusted to Beth's rose note over the last decade or so, and come to learn when rose will work on me and in combination with which other notes. Or maybe my tastes have just changed. Either way, I purchase a bottle of this from the Lab's Etsy site and am so glad I did! Perhaps it's due to the aging of this scent since the initial release, but there is no soapiness at all! The rosewood melds with the vanilla rose to create a lovely, feminine rose scent. It wears close to my skin and is just lovely. Very romantic feeling. So glad I decided to get this bottle!

Respectfully snipped. Since you like Black Vanilla & Cardamom HG, have you considered Antikythera Mechanism? The notes are "Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.". It was also an LE hair gloss as a lunacy poll winner, in addition to being a GC perfume. And since you love Banshee Beat, have you considered using Revenant Rhythm bath oil and/or hair gloss as a body perfume/body spray? I love Banshee Beat as well and have it, and I really find the Trading Post's RR products to be just perfect. Because there are always slight differences in the way the scent turns out on my skin between the products, in some ways I find the RR bath oil to edge a bit more towards the vanilla side, but not too much.

A true tea note, very identifiable as tea. This is the strongest tea blend I've smelled in any BPAL. Upon drydown, just a hint of a dark fruit. Neither bitter nor astringent nor sweet. If you ever wanted a true tea scent, get this one before it's gone!

I'm very confused. My decant of The Workshop smells absolutely wonderful, but is not a match for the notes. I expected the same sharp metallic note that I smell in The Elevator atmo and The Magician perfume. However, it smells almost like Beth's snow note found in Crimson Peak! I sprayed it again, and even sprayed a small amount on my wrist to give it a closer sniff. On my wrist, I get the metallic note I expected, but there is still an almost minty note like snow. No oil or lubricant, nothing sharp. This is almost like a spray version of Crimson Peak perfume to me. This is actually very refreshing, and I wonder now if I need a full bottle. If it smelled the same as my decant, I would be thrilled.

Interesting... after spraying this, I have finally realized that I don't particularly care for the beeswax note! Don't get me wrong, this spray is lovely, soft, and suitably named with all the notes included in it. It would smell good in a child's room as the scent isn't heavy, is gentle with a hint of floral and powder. But the beeswax note is the same note in Whiskey, Candlesmoke and Musk atmo that was just "off" for me. Still, not a bad scent and I'm sure many others will love it.

Mostly metallic with a hint of spice in the woods, and a touch of cologne. Very nice and wearable. Would love to smell this on my husband, but it's not a masculine-only scent by far. I'm glad I have the decant, but don't need to upgrade it to a bottle because the copper is a touch too sharp for my nose.

Upon first application, all I could smell was leather, and the chemical kind of leather smell at that. When I took my wrist away from my nose, there was a distinct whiff of paper and ink. I currently have no other book scents and Misk U was horrid on me. This is not horrid, it's exactly as described. However it's not my kind of scent. I'm very glad I tried a decant though, as my Crimson Peak experience would be incomplete without having done so.

I was afraid of the verbena and lemon peel notes in this. I shouldn't have worried, as I really can't pick them out. Coconut is most prominent, with a fuzzy spicy musk. Slightly tropical, but not a beach drink, this is a delightful scent and worthy of Sylvia!

Full body slathering test of this decant today, because I'm sure I will love it and the only question is "how many bottles must I buy?". Upon application, this goes on as dark red musk, which is one of the notes that gains me the most compliments whenever I wear red musk scents. Good start! Then it dries down, and I get a smoky note- this is very interesting, because it's almost but not quite vetiver, and almost but not quite Single Note Bonfire. I also usually amp clove, and I don't even smell clove as a distinct note. After 30-45 minutes of wear, this remains a dark smoky red musk scent on me. I really do love it, but I have so many other red musk scents in rotation as well as a pretty huge stash of backups that as much as I love and want Crimson in my collection, I'm going to pass on a bottle for now. Maybe if I get a financial windfall later on before it's gone I will be able to add it to my collection.

This is a beautiful ghostly scent. I get almost single note ambergris on my skin, however, with a hint of something light and floral. My skin usually amps frankincense and I cannot even detect it here. This is very similar to 2012 Singing Moon on my skin, but with floral instead of aquatic marsh. Again, ambergris apparently goes to 11 on my skin. Lovely scent, but my decant will suffice.

Upon application, this is strong lavender, and that's all I smell for about 30 minutes. Then it morphs into a lovely soft scent that must be floral based on the notes, but I can't identify any of the notes myself. It's very pretty, even for this non-floral wearer. It's neither sharp nor white to my nose, just a sweet scent that could gently rock me to sleep.

I received a tester of this from my lovely decantress, as if she read my mind. The notes are perfect for me and the scent is to die for! Opium, incense, champaca all combine into a dark swirl of magic on my skin. This is in the same family of dark incense scents that I love. It is also in the same family of atmo sprays as Unspeakably Evil Temple and The Demon's School. While not the same, they give off that wonderful dark slightly sweet incense scent that I can't get enough of.

I'm a fan of vetiver in most scents where it is found, and that's the note I initially detected upon application to my wrist. However, it doesn't take long for the vetiver to recede and the plum to come forward. This is another dark purple scent, beautiful with the way the other notes interact. I don't get rose at all, but a dark slightly fruity floral incense. A floriental, as it were. Very gothic and perfect for a Crimson Peak scent. I had not really expected to upgrade my decant to a bottle, as I can't afford bottles of all the CP scents I've fallen in love with. But I feel like my collection needs this as well as A Shadow in the Elevator and I had my heart set on ordering Shadow next. Aagghhh I want them both! Edited for grammar fail.

The crushed violet leaf and chrysanthemum petals are an excellent blend to go with this incense. They are not too much floral, but create a dried perfume that mingles with the incense. I wear so many incense-based scents, and the incense in this reminds me of Clermont, but instead of rose I have the dried petals. Beautiful!

I was worried about reviews mentioning Snow White, as that is instant headache-inducing for me, so I only got a decant of this to try. Thankfully, on my skin this blooms into exactly what is noted: a warm spicy bay rum, with sandalwood showing up on the drydown. I wish I could convince my husband to use Bpal, because not only does he like the scent of bay rum, this would smell great on him. And now I feel compelled to order a bottle so that I will have bottles of all four character scents! Thomas, Lucille, and Edith need the companion bottle!

This is very beautiful. As the previous reviewers have said, I think this is a blend of vanilla and amber and something else resinous, perhaps a touch of myrrh? It gives the feeling of gentle warmth, and is another amazing Crimson Peak atmo that I want to wear as a perfume!

Spicy wood, a bit of vanilla, a whisp of decay and mint. This is another lovely scent and bottle-worthy, if only I had unlimited funds.

Lemony at first, but thankfully that quickly fades because I'm not a fan of citrus. On drydown, this becomes a dark Floriental scent... it is a very old-world perfume. The notes are so well-blended that one doesn't stand out over the other. It most definitely smells like something a child would remember smelling on her mother. It fades quickly, which is appropriate for a ghostly scent. This is so very pretty, but my decant will suffice for me.

I was frimped a full decant of this by my lovely decantress, which is exciting because I hoped to eventually try it. In the imp I initially smell mild clove and the leather. Clove amps on me, but I love it, while leather can be iffy. Fortunately, this is the soft, non-chemical, glove or suede leather scent that I can wear. I can smell the powdery mingling of amber and myrrh, but there is something else. Something that I can't quite identify but that makes me keep sniffing my wrist. Slightly sour but not sour, metallic but not metallic, I can't find the words. I think of Thomas' machine and the clay he is trying to mine... the sadness that surrounds him. Upon drydown, this is a gentle spicy work of art. Love this and need to get a bottle!

Upon initial spray, the dirt scent that I love so much is the first thing I smell, but then it quickly turns into the same sweet snow scent that is in Crimson Peak perfume. This is lovely, soft and gentle, and it really does make me feel as if I was standing at dusk near a fresh grave while the snow slowly starts to fall. Nailed it, Beth! So gorgeous!

Another great dirt scent from Beth! Upon initial application, the dirt is most prominent. I hadn't looked up the notes yet, but I can recognize that note. This one is a lush dirt, slightly sweet, not of the grave, at least not at first. After drydown, a metallic note starts to rise, a tinge of sour moisture mingled with dust- oh this is the clay! Then finally a slightly spicy musk- maybe blood musk. Another gorgeous dirt scent to add to my collection!