LadyMedb

This is an intense, spicy, foody scent. I really like the patchouli note, as well as the hazelnut. There is, unfortunately, just a little too much going on here - too many strong notes in synergy - and thus the blend ends up a little plasticky smelling, and a little cluttered, kind of the way Samhain does, but without the deeply sensual aura Samhain has. Still, I basically like this spicy, sweet scent as a treat once in a while, applied sparingly. I'll keep the decant, and that's it.

Queen of Sheba, Scherezade, Urd, and of all things, Cathedral...

...but the one that makes my husband the happiest is Samhain 2006, because he wants me to wear the one that smells like pie.

And it turns him on.

This is a slightly impure rose, with the impurity discernible because it is such a pure rose. Does that make any sense?

I'll go back on forth on whether I need a full bottle of this until the end of time, but I'm glad it exists.

All right, I love it. Although the lime runs the risk of making it smell a bit generic, the combination of the flowers and the fruits, far from cloying, is refreshing, sweet, and a little bit sexy. As an bonus, my husband loves this on me.

For this one, I get roses, a lot of greenery, and just general sharpness. This is one of those classical Victorian scents that Beth does that smell really well-composed, but often go very sharp on me. Although the notes are all well-defined and interesting, it is just a little much.

I prefer the slight variations on these ingredients in the Illyria line.

This is a beautiful scent, but the smoky, smoky carnation is just a bit overpowering, and makes it not quite my style. I like the delicate rose, though, and the tea.

This is plain old gorgeous, creamy rose with a bit of sexy musk. I absolutely adore it - it's everything that I wanted Bearded Lady and Brides of Dracula to be (the former I like, but it does go a little bit powdery, and the latter is pure hand soap to me). I find it takes a LOT for this to show up on me, and that it fades really quickly, so I'm going through it rather quickly, but the balance is so GORGEOUS that it's totally worth it.

There's almost a fruity aspect to this, but every time I try to characterise it, it sort of fades. I like this elusive element - it gives the fragrance richness and character, not to mention sexiness.

One of my favourite BPALS ever.

This is pretty - it smells like sweet, sweet vanilla, coconut, and musk, and probably some darker spicy thing I can't identify. I think it's really well-composed, but as much as I like the idea, and love opals, it's just a little bit too sweet and girly for me - kind of baby powdery. Now that I'm reading that other people are detecting floral notes in the above reviews, I'm thinking it could be heliotrope that's the deal-breaker. It goes into the swap pile, but with a recommendation for those who like sweet scents.

This, alas, simply isn't doing it for me! For some reason, Dulce Stil Nuovo was instantly soapy on me, and, as a deal-breaker, sharp, into the bargain. It's a shame, because I love all the notes, but maybe the carnation just doesn't go that well with the lavender.

It's OK, though, because there are plenty of BPAL rose scents I like.

This is crazy-sexy, and complex. It's thick with incense and dark flowers. I'm utterly in love.

I like the honey note and the creamy aspect to this scent, but the plum and the lilies and the spices all go to soap on me, and overpower the rest of the composition. It's a crying shame, but I'm going to swap this decant.

I really like the cedar a lot (reminds me of Cathedral), but the rest of the notes - the leaves and such - are just too sharp and bitter. I love the composition, and I love how the bitterness contributes to the concept of "Unceasing in Anger," but it's just too sharp for me. The drydown does improve it after half an hour, though.

I bought a decant of this for my husband, and it's the sexiest thing I've ever smelled on him. The woods are thick and sweet, and the musk adds complexity without making it overpowering. Usually I'm wary of scents with a long list of notes, but this is just sophisticated and perfect in every way.

This is also the only BPAL where he's actively wanted a bottle, rather than just kind of accepted me attacking him with a scent.

This is a beautiful, simple and slightly green floral - I really like the sweetpea note, and the lily does not go soapy on me. It has a little less body than I would normally prefer, but also an appealing sweetness to it. I like it well enough to keep the imp at least, and I might be suckered into buying the bottle because, well, it's my name.

This is a simple and pretty vanilla with the quality of vanilla pipe smoke, or maybe yogurt. There's a nice floral touch to it to prevent it from being too overwhelmingly foody and make it wearable in the summer as well as the winter. I definitely need a full bottle of this one.

Dry and musky with a nice balance, but dry indeed - too much so for me to appreciate it properly. The slight hint of incense is beautiful, but the rest is just too wispy and transient. I guess that was the point.

This goes insanely soapy on me for nearly the first hour, but then afterwards (miracle!) dries down to a beautiful and mysterious floral incense - a little dry, a little powdery, slightly potpourri like, very sweet and compelling. I think my skin reacts to the lily of the valley, but then my natural chemistry with rose and frankincense takes over, and the whole thing becomes balanced and sensuous. It smells like one's hair smells after one has been in a room with rose incense. It's very beautiful, and I'll be wearing it, but I do need time to let it dry down before I go out.

Overall, I think All Saints' is lovely - it reminds me of one of my very favourites, Black Rose. Keeper, for sure.

EDIT - smells even better left over on my scarf the next day.

EDIT - still frustrated with the long drydown, but it still smells amazing after the drydown. I'm going to experiment with it as a room scent to get some use out of it on those days when I can't afford the wait.

Some of the more high-end perfumes I like are appealing to me because they smell mysterious and sophisticated. Well, here is a fabulous BPAL example of this - it's all gorgeous opium, flowers, and alcoholic fruit, but not in a cluttered old-lady way. It speaks of feminine mystery and just a little bit of excess. It's not what one would normally expect from BPAL (although reminiscent, with the poppy and pale flowers, of another of my favourites, Euterpe), but overall it's worth keeping for those days when just one isn't enough, and you'll take the whole lot, dammit! I like Stardust a great deal, and it likes my skin, too!!

I love this one. It's like buttery pumpkin pie and apple cider, brushed gently by the scent of dry leaves from the kitchen door opening, a wind tinged with ritual, mystery, and sensuality.

Really, it's pumpkin pie, magick, and hot sex. My husband LOVES it on me.

This is a beautiful, no-frills dragon's blood and musk blend. It is, as mentioned below, extremely sexy, and it has a subtle sweetness to it that really makes it appealing. Very sensual, very nice.

This smells a lot like Dragon Moon mixed with Black Moon, which is great, because I love both.

Kindly Moon is a delicious, warm, comforting aquatic floral. I've always loved moonflower, and it works to great effect here, blending with my "difficult" note, lily - which often smells amazing in the bottle but less so on my skin - to make a perfect accord. The mood of Kindly Moon is gentle, yet actually somewhat sensual, and that's probably due in part to the blue musk. The peach note rounds the whole thing out.

Kindly Moon is nothing if not round. It's a wear-anywhere scent with just the right measures of light sweetness and mystery. I'm thrilled with my bottle.

Regan is my hands-down best vanilla. Just a little bit of floral, and so much creamy, yet fresh, vanilla goodness. It's cold like lotion or yogurt.

Though I'm wondering, right now, what would happen if I layered Snake Oil with Black Rose...

 

Surprise! I get... Snake Oil. A slightly floral variation. Very slightly. Maybe if I just put a tiny little bit with a LOT of Black Rose... or maybe if I layered Black Rose with O instead.....

OMG, I'm trying all of these tonight. Wow.

There are four I want to marry:

Morgause and Pannychis are heady, rich, fruity jasmines, Zorya is a clean and sweet jasmine, and, if you can get your hands on it, Black Moon is lush tropical jasmine heaven.

I know that my sniffer is a bit off but to me Schwarzer Mond smells very similar to Scherezade........

 

Am I nuts?

They're close, but I find Sin to be closer. They're definitely the same family, though.

Black Rose is very much like The Peacock Queen. Both share that same velvety rich red-rose aura.

Agreed - I feel like Peacock Queen is cleaner and Black Rose is dirtier and a little more...occult-smelling? but I love them both.

Has anyone mentioned Dragon Moon and Neo-Tokyo? I like DM slightly better, but they're close.

Also: The Castle seems a lot like Wolf's Heart and Fenris Wolf to me - I know it's not as "dirty" smelling, but it's just as dry and red.

Dragon Moon is great for job interviews. I like Cathedral, too, but I always like Cathedral.