jj_j

I should have kept more of my single notes to compare against for when my nose gets confused.

 

Sticky-sweet on, I can barely stand the first couple of minutes of Haitian Lover. Luckily, I got distracted by my toddler on the way to the bathroom to wash it off, and sniffed again about five minutes later. What a surprise! Softly sexy man-skin, with what I think is Siberian Musk (knew I should have kept those Single Note imps!). Sniffing again almost fifteen minutes later, I have subtle warmth coming off my wrist, and the gentle not-powdery-powder scent of ambergris that's dried down for a while.

 

I don't get A highly sexual, passionately primal love oil for men as much as I get the manly version of O. Sexual, yes. Soft, passionate kisses for a half hour, yes.

 

Love oil, no doubt about it.

I swear I posted this earlier, but I can't find it anywhere on the forum - mods, help me out if I've somehow lost and then duplicated the post ...

 

Not the dry, pungent spice in my kitchen cabinet, but the zingy, sweet scent of a black licorice candy. To that, absolutely true.

While I don't care for almond scents, the raves about Hecate and its smoky tone made me order an Imp to try.

 

Out of the bottle, and first on, this is so stickily sweet that I'm almost unable to hold on and not give in to the temptation to break out the Dawn dish soap. The myrrh, combined with this note, turns to a pickled scent for a few minutes, but finally calms down into itself.

 

In the end, a spiced myrrh scent that has both reticent sweetness and strength. Not something I'll be purchasing, but it's exotic, interesting, and loved by many. Glad I tried it!

Yum! The scents are so intertwined I can either smell only the whole, or each note in bursts if I stick my nose into it.

 

Think the vanilla of Snake Oil, a hint of root beer in the background, the spicily dry fragrance of pencil shavings, and the warmth of sweetly woody balsam. Lots of strength, and good for masculine or feminine, depending on which notes your body brings out of this.

 

Dry-down stayed exactly the same on me, which is unusual - but I'm not complaing about something that smells so fantastic when I put it on staying so perfectly delicious throughout its wear.

I put the Vicomte on my fella this morning to test it, and it was a huge mistake.

 

He smelled soooo good, I could hardly keep from sniffing him. In fact, he smelled so good we almost didn't make it out to breakfast. I even considered skipping class, the ultimate no-no in weekend courses, since they only meet once a week and cover 3 days worth of material in one. He wasn't moved by the scent much, but was impressed that I obviously was.

 

In fact, Vicomte de Valmont smelled so good, it totally distracted me from the conversation at hand, which boiled down to him not being ready for a serious relationship. 12 hours later, I have no idea if we'll still be seeing each other but keeping it light, or if he's ruled that as impossible. All I know is that he smelled so good I couldn't think and that the waitress kept my coffee cup full for a change.

 

ViciousViolet's review of the scent itself needs no additions - she encapsulated my impression of this one perfectly! However, I have no hesitation about wearing this one if he's not going to be around to slather it on ... it's that fantastic. It's definitely man-in-a-bottle, though.

Oooh! Spike of pennyroyal, right up the nose - but in a good way. The lavender really softens the bite of pennyroyal (and considering lavender's often astringent tone, that should tell you how sharp pennyroyal is on it's own), leaving a bright, fresh, and clarifying scent that's a little like good furniture polish and a lot like a wake-up call for me.

 

Different, dramatic, and a remarkably down-played, delicious version of what I was expecting. Well worth a try ...

Naturally, juniper's sharp and pungent aroma takes over the scent and needs a few minutes to settle in and back off. The oakmoss comes along and plops down at the bottom of this all, and uses the patchouli to help anchor the bright, fierce tones of the juniper and myrrh - kind of like a balloon weight.

 

When it's all said and done, though, this is a crumbly wet earth smell, complete with a rosebush nearby sending the scent of its flowers on the breeze.

 

Nicely done, but not a standout considering how it feels enough like Zombi - and not much compares to Zombi.

From the bottle, violet. First on, lavender so sharp it's almost peppery; perhaps the vetivert's peeping through?

 

The combination, though, softens out and the vetivert starts to come through. It never takes over, and it's not the heavy, root-like smell you may read about in the single notes, though - it's earthen and weighted, and keeps the lavender and violet from spiking through the center of your forehead.

 

So interesting, and so adamant; I don't know a better way to explain the kind of presence this scent has. It would be easy to over-apply, as all of these scents are distinctive and fairly pungent on their own; you can imagine the possibilities for potency in their combination.

 

Probably not a re-purchase for me, but I think I'll keep the Imp, as this is definitely something I like smelling on myself.

This is a power outage in a room with no windows - so black you can't see your hand in front of your face .... but you can smell the absolutely sexual creature nearby. It's heavy, it's overwhelmingly feminine sexuality, it has that faint band-aid note from Pulse Points that I love so, and it's the kind of scent that makes you hope the wearer brushes up against you as they try to find their way around in the dark.

 

Your fella will sniff this on the air, grab your wrist, and give you a dazed look while panting, "Damn it, woman; what is that?!?!!"

 

Fair warning - *I* am going to be that absolutely sexual creature standing next to you next time the power goes off in the building, as this is going on my immediate purchase list, in spite of being a floral. The dry down is a softer, afterglow-but-I'll-need-you-again-in-ten-minutes sort of way that's as irresistable as the first notes.

I'm pretty well known to be incompatible with civet and jasmine, but I try every BPAL scent that comes my way. Nyx turned out to be well worth the test run, in spite of the jasmine it contains.

 

Myrrh is an absolutely beautiful addition to the rose and jasmine here. For me, it's not just the saving grace of this perfume, it's the highlight of it. I'm so very surprised at the warmth and effervescence of these three combined; I still smell the jasmine, but it's so tied to the myrrh, and so much more palatable with the rose, that it's almost delightful.

 

I'm not a floral fan, and Nyx isn't something I'll be wearing regularly, but I think I'll keep the Imp to finish. The scent description may be one of desolation and inky-black skies, but any woman wearing this tropical, slightly cerebral, and tempting scent won't be alone for long.

Remarkably light for all the dry and wooden notes in this; I expected the arid feel of Seance, but got the scent of a cove of trees unable to withstand the force of a thunderstorm.

 

Wet green leaves snapping against the jagged and broken limbs of trees beaten by the storm; wind, rain, wood, and a rumble of thunder are all combined in Magus.

 

Not something I'd wear often, but an understated scent that manages to be vibrant at the same time.

We all know what a great job Beth does with rose scents, but I think she deserves kudos for what she does with violets, too. I have yet to meet one that I actively dislike, and most I absolutely love.

 

Nocturne is a soft, smoky violet made pliant and creamy by the tuberose; lilac casts a pale, ethereal light on the blend and offers up a waft of delicate springtime.

 

Softer (but not lighter in intensity) than Veil, heavy-lidded and peaceful.

I can't add much to RosieP's review; this has all the sutlry, slithery, sexy warmth of Snake Oil, with the added tang of juniper berry up front. Drying down, I get an even warmer, more mellowed Snake Oil, which I attribute to the rosewood.

 

I am buying a bottle for myself as soon as I finish this post. It's perhaps more masculine than Snake Oil, but only in the "edge" that RosieP mentioned. This one will likely end up on my list of all-time favorites.

I've been impressed with all of Beth's violet scents so far, and this one is no exception.

 

For me, this never gets cloyingly sweet, although I was a little hesitant about combining sweet tea rose with already-sweet violet. Instead, the tea rose lends a crisper, more enduring strength of character to the violet, and they blend in a decadent and somehow taut fragrance.

 

To give you an idea about this in relation to some of the other violet fragrances Beth's been creating - Veil is softer and smoother, Wings of Azrael is sharper and more intense, and Marie is glossy and rich.

Entropy went on me as distinctly patchouli, but the civet did the most amazing thing - it combined with the other notes to smell like - I don't know how else to explain it - intoxication. If you've ever been around someone the morning after a serious binge-drinking session and before they shower, you know that metallic, grain alcohol smell that seems to come out of their pores; it's not bad, it's just distinct and not-quite sour. This was that smell, about 20 minutes before passing out the night before - boozy, stumbling, falling down drunk. My head was swimming, in fact, and I was at a loss every time I sniffed this for the first five minutes.

 

After that, if pulled back, although it was still there if I got really close to my wrist and sniffed, and there was much more of the poppy-seed husk smell and fuzzy poppy texture, with the faintest rose note under it all.

 

For me, the imp is all I'll need, but I think I'll use it up. This is disorienting, and yet almost clarifying, and it's an interesting and surprising scent overall.

 

It was perfect for my mood today, actually. I'd been pretty well confused and pissy in general, and I went through what's usually a day-long period of this mood in the first ten minutes of wearing Entropy, then I was fine. Seemed to accelerate, and thus alleviate, the chaos in my head.

Definitely masculine in my nose; Snake Oil goes ultra-sexual with civet or one of the musks, perhaps.

 

Even though I usually have issues with civet and the musks, this didn't get out of control on my skin. It didn't do much for me on my own wrist, but if I got a sniff on a fella, I'd not only expect him to try and take me home at the end of the evening, I'd be raring to go.

 

Primal and very definitely sexual, but not in an overwhelming way. More of a "sex-oozes-from-his-pores" thing; think Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall.

The sweet, perfect violet note in Veil, Wings of Azrael, Marie, and other wonderful creations by Beth.

 

Soooo good!

I grew up in the country, and our land was covered, like much of Oklahoma today, with red cedars. On the back side of the pond, just past the big rock dam that water trickled over and down into a crawdad hole, there was a huge cave created by overhanging cedar branches. My brother and I would crawl in oh-so-carefully to avoid getting the itchies, and play; I always loved to weave garlands out of flowers and grasses picked on the way to the hidey-hole.

Lear is mostly cedar, although a drier version than the ones I grew up with, along with those broken and bent stems I tried so hard to make into a crown; barely green and leafy. Absolutely majestic, but in a quiet and reflective way.

Dried down to a scent that was gentle with definite strength of will and character.

Silks and velvets, lush blooms crushed under writhing bodies, the richest and best that exists - full-blown honeysuckle made even headier by black poppy. I can practically feel drooping, fantastically smooth petals brush past my nose.

Vetivert lends a minimal, earthy, grounding note and takes a while to come out; this isn't the heavy root scent described in the single-note reviews, so don't be afraid to try Anathema.

It's the biggest, boldest, most gloriously in-your-face floral by Beth I've ever tried, decadent and with an aura that's twice life-sized.

I realized when I went in to look at the bottles that I am on my THIRD and final 5 ml. of Snow White.

THAT'S JUST WRONG.

 

 

I am SO jealous.

 

Would it make you feel any better to know that I poured samples off for those desperately in need until I got down to the last bottle?

 

Bought it, got it, loved it, immediately bought more. At least I did one smart thing this year!

Since November, I've managed to finish two Imps. No 5 mls., but I have a ton, and I rotate through them like a crazy woman.

 

My 10 ml. of Old Morocco is about 5/8 full, 5 ml. of Snake Oil is about half full, 5 mls. of Tamora, Queen Mab, and Bewitched all 2/3 full, and Samhain corked bottle about 5/8 full.

 

Oh! I take it back - I have been through a couple of 5 mls. I realized when I went in to look at the bottles that I am on my third and final 5 ml. of Snow White.

My order was in the same batch, but since Beth posted that she was caught up through 3/20 on the 8th of April, I figure that's three business days at the most, and the USPS always takes at least six business days to get priority mail to me from anywhere other than in-state. Even Dallas.

 

I have the special privilege of living in a town where all mail goes to Tulsa to be processed - even in-town mail. What I really love is mail to my parents. When I lived in Oklahoma City, I mailed a letter to my mother, it would get postmarked in Tulsa, and she'd get it in Stillwater (literally EXACTLY between the two towns) about 5 days after I mailed it. Never ceased to amaze me.

 

Now a card only takes three days - one out, one to Tulsa, one back to her house, 12 miles away from me!

I use 1/5 oz. bottles , though.

Where did you find 1/5 ox roll ons?

 

All I've been able to find are the 1/3's. :\

Couldn't find them; she may be out of stock, but these are 1/8 oz (aka 5 ml); I've been really pleased with these, too. I take an address label, print two or three scent names to a label, cut them out, and stick a patch of packing tape over them to be sure they stay on in my purse.

 

Ships fast, too ... and you can buy from her ebay store in smaller quantities.

Definitely Samhain.

the Empress is divine.

 

That said, I favor ...

 

Rose Red

Queen Mab

Persephone

Othello

Pride

Old Venice

Spellbound