forspecial_plate

First of all, quoting myself: .....looks like I got my wish with a few of these. I also noticed a fair bit of chypres or chypre-like scents. I'm excited but I think I can narrow these down to just one or two bottles, and maybe a handful of decants. There were quite a few scents that I was able to remove from the list without hesitation. Color key: Bottle Decant Shimmery Chypre Black text means still up in the air about whether to hunt down a decant, put it on wish list for later, or let it pass by altogether OLISBOS 2011 – polished wood, well-loved leather, and olive oil. This has possibilities, but I'm not very hopeful. It's a possible decant just to try it because I don't want to rule it out completely. Olive oil will probably make this smell strange and not for me. We'll see, maybe. RED LANTERN 2011 – Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice. This sounds so sensual and appealing. I'm almost positive I've tried one of the older versions, but I don't own any and I may want a decant this time around. TIME DOES NOT BRING RELIEF – Remembrance: Parma violet and leather accord with beeswax, Egyptian musk, orange blossom, white tea, lavender, myrrh, and copal. Kind of a half 'n half list of notes, some I like and some I don't like. It's worth a try. I think it could be too soapy or perfumey. ++ LUPERCALIA: NOVEL IDEAS FOR SECRET AMUSEMENTS BURNING VULVA – Vanilla-infused amber, leather, beeswax, cyclamen, oakmoss, peru balsam, orange blossom, red ginger, tonka, opoponax, myrrh, and black pepper. This is in the running for a bottle! I will watch the will-call posts for impressions. COUPLE ENGAGED IN LOVEMAKING – Honey, lemongrass, black tea, white ginger, and grains. Well, this is a possible decant but it might get squeezed out by others with higher priority. There is something appealing in the combination of notes but honey might be a sticking point. I used to think I hated honey in perfume but now I'm not even sure any more. Sometimes it's okay. COPULATING MICE – Bergamot, clove, hazelnut, pecan, lavender, tonka, and thyme. Perfectly cute scent, would be a good decant choice. I don't like nuts in my perfume but I want to try this. And who knows, it could surprise me. DANCING KOI – Brown musk, leather accord, toasted sandalwood, clove, labdanum, and champaca. Brown musk worries me but I want a penis scent, and this looks like the one most likely to work for me. Toasted sandalwood in combination with brown musk might be too fuzzy and.....brown. I know I have to try this, for sure, and it might be a bottle purchase. FESTIVAL MASK – Rubbed sage, ti leaf, osmanthus, immortelle, patchouli, amber, and mandarin. Could be nice, interesting notes, worth a try. Decant but not bottle (unless it surprises me, of course, but that goes for all of these). HARIGATA II – Coconut, white amber, hazelnut, and anise. See above note about me wanting shimmery white scents. Hello, here is one! Could be odd, but it's worth a try. LOOSENING OF THE OBI – Rice wine, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, and white musk. Again with the shimmery/white scents for spring. I want to try it! SPRINGTIME PLAYFULNESS – Green and brown musks, coconut husk, wisteria, lemongrass, hydrangea, cranberry, woody sandalwood, and ripe squash. Hmmmm...another penis possibility (I love trying the penis scents). Can't imagine what this will smell like, so obviously I need to try it, right? That artwork is simply too much. I may have to get it for the label alone. That is high quality comedy. TEA – Darjeeling tea, lemon verbena, star anise, and honeycomb. Hmmm....sounds like a nice, fresh spring scent. Not my usual thing (and there's that honeycomb.....), but looks to be worth a try. YOUNG PINE SAPLINGS – Cream, clove, ginger, and honey. Have to really think about this one! I love spicey scents and this looks like a good one. I'm not afraid of the cream as much as the honey, but combined with spices that honey might be tamed. Definitely need to try this one. ++ LUPERCALIA: ODE TO APHRODITE APATOUROS – Deceptive One – Black fig, green tea, opoponax, ciste absolute, myrrh, carnation, nutmeg, and Brazilian vetiver. I'm guessing this will have a citrus vibe, grounded by spices and vetiver. It's worth a try but might be too much like some other scents I have. I might have to compare this to some of last year's Lupers that did not work, so I can compare notes and decide if I want to even try it. APHROGENÊS – Foam Born – Orris root, iris, white honey, white sandalwood, coconut, and cherry blossom. Again with the white and shimmery. I have discovered that I like white sandalwood (I used to think I didn't like it). Yup, probably have to try this one. KYTHERIAN – She Who Conceals Love-Affaris – Black narcissus, purple orchid, neroli, white sandalwood, ambergris, plum musk, jonquil, thyme, oakmoss, and grapefruit. I'm curious bacause this sounds like a floral chypre. It looks interesting. NIKÊPHOROS – Bringer of Victory – Black currant, patchouli, blood orange, oakmoss, galbanum, benzoin, and white mint. Another chypre? Want to try. ++ LUPERCALIA: VENUSTAS MALE NUDE, ARMS UPSTRETCHED – Dark musk, linen, and red chypre. Yes please! My number one choice for immediate bottle purchase, unsniffed. Wasn't there a white chypre in one of the Yule scents? I wish the lab would give us a whole series of chypres of different hues. I'd have to try all of them! MANILUS HURLED FROM THE ROCK – Frankincense, leather accord, sandalwood, Himalayan cedar, nutmeg, and violet leaf. I've been flip-flopping on wanting to try this, but I think I'm going to have to try a decant. I almost want to pass it up but it has just enough potential. THE RING – Antiqued amber, frankincense, patchouli, hay, oakmoss, skin musk, and white mint. Hmm, another chypre-like scent?? Sounds pretty interesting, and I think I'll definitely have to try this. WRESTLERS – Vetiver, guiac wood, peru of balsam, two musks, labdanum, saffron, and rum accord. Another must try, but it may not work. This is another scent that I'm having trouble imagining what it will smell like. I'd like to find out!

This sounded wonderful.....but.....something turns soapy. Spicey soap. I am attracted to "black" flavored notes but pretty often, they end up turning on me (except black musk....I wear that pretty well). So, I'm blaming the black amber and maybe opoponax, but who knows really. Just not for me.

Hmmm. Well, there was a chance this might smell good to me, but I've tried it 2 or 3 times and I just can't get myself to like it. I had a couple of excited minutes today when I thought it smelled like fruity incense, something I would like, but then it sort of smoothed out and just smelled like fruity plastic erasers or something from grade school. It turned cloying but not in the usual way that honey does, so I really don't know what is disagreeing with me here, but it's just not working out. I ended up washing it off, unfortunately. : (

I was excited to try this, especially with mate absolute. The notes all sounded pretty good, actually, except maybe for the rose infusion, but I was willing to take the chance. Well, it was just not meant to be. I don't even know how to describe this, soapy metal? It does remind me a little of Copper Phoenix, but this is.....murky? I don't know, I just know I don't like it. : (

This is fantastic, proper and refined, like the best-smelling after shave in the world. I am reminded somewhat of other dudely leather blends, but I can't recall which ones. I applied pretty heavily (for me) and I felt that it faded pretty quickly, but it's >8 hours later I'm still picking up the scent around me. To me this is a masculine scent, spicy leather I guess but I can't describe it more than that. I mean, I think I can smell oakmoss but who knows. I couldn't tell you if this is a fougere or chypre or what. I guess it kind of fits in with chypres but it would be a deluxe leather chypre in that case. Why bother picking it apart. Since I'm guessing most people can't try this (unless it is more available some time in the future), I would say Count Dracula is the closest other bpal I can think of. They are not the same but it's an approximation. Poe is more refined and elegant, but still rough, and very serious. Not much 'playful' about this scent.

I was afraid of "brown musk", because I've encountered brown musk and other brown notes like sandalwood and such, in other scents, and they were not my friends. But I really like Wolf Moon ('07 in particular being one of my favorite bpal scents), and I knew I had to get this, and as it turns out, I really like it. Wolf Moon in all its incarnations is about woods, musk, a bit of spice, and slushy, watery snow. Pretty simple. The three scents are different but they all capture that same mood or feeling, pretty much exactly as the descripton reads. I personally don't think "Pine!" when I wear this. It's just a chilly, woody, musky, slightly slushy scent with a bit of spice. Compared to the past Wolf Moons......this one is very much like the last one ('07), and I tested them side-by-side to smell the difference. The '07 version has a more prominent cedar note, and it kind of jumps out if you test them together. Other than that, it's practically the same scent. The older one from '04 is very much a softer scent, prettier, lighter, and more aquatic. It reminds me of a babbling brook in the middle of winter, in the woods, in the moonlight. The musk and spice are just hints in the background. The newest version is kind of flip-flopped from that......that is, the musk and woods, and maybe a bit of spice (but not like a cookie jar or anything like that, maybe just a hint of ginger or maybe it's the musk I'm smelling) are in the foreground and the slushy snow is sprinkled on top. Sorry for rambling.....Wolf Moon '10 is a keeper!

Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan....."coriander, amber, oregano, bay leaf, myrtle, angelica root, sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla", smells a lot like Mr. Jacquel...."Golden amber, hyssop, North African patchouli, and embalming spices". Mr. Jacquel has something like cassia or cinnamon, whereas Ambre Sultan does not, but other than that they are very much in the same scent family.

When I put this on I had it confused with Marley's Ghost, but it didn't take long to realize my mistake! This scent is odd and just doesn't sit well on me, it goes on smelling like grape scratch 'n sniff stickers, or maybe one of those smelly markers for kids. Later something turns very soapy, and I am blaming the balsam of peru but I could be wrong. The soapy note seems to spiral up and up until it's impossible to ignore and I had to actually wash this off, and even then that soapy note stuck around persistently. Not a pleasant experience and I will stick with The Shivering Boy for my frozen grape fix. : )

Well, this was a happy discovery for me. Warm, sweet and woody citrus/ambery scent, light in throw, some kind of vanilla sweetness going on, kind of a simple scent, excellent for work. And reasonably priced! Hallelujah! I bought a bottle and this could be my new signature work scent.

Acceptable powdery leather scent. BPAL has better. I'll keep the sample unless I think of someone who would like it who I can give it to.

I may have already reviewed this. Citrus, slightly minty, faint. It's nice but I like New York better, and I just got a bottle of that. So I'll use up my sample and be done with it.

Smells like something from the 80's. A little spicy, woody. Smells good, I can use up my sample and probably forget about it, unless it really grows on me. Not likely....I have a dozen or so other scents that are like this and better.

I wear both Cthulhu and The Deep Ones. I hope that Kingsport can be resurrected some day, not because I need more, but because it's beautiful and I want more people to be able to try it! It's my favorite aquatic and one of my favorite bpal scents ever.

Fruity wood, says the description, and that's what I smell. Interesting scent, reminds me of those fruity woody Serge Lutens scents. I like it but I don't think I'd wear it that often. I'll keep the sample unless I think of someone who would like it more.

Seriously, I have way too many samples of non-bpal perfumes and colognes, that I need to test and somehow keep track of what I've tried, what I liked, and what I haven't liked. I've been doing this to a certain extent here on my blog, and I'm going to continue to do it. So far not many of them have "wowed" me to wanting a whole big bottle. I might want to get more Chanel Pour Monsieur, or maybe Parfums de Nicolai's New York.

I finally got the last of my Yule scents yesterday from the Lab and so I can comment, with my own opinions. Which one embodies Christmas/Yule the most? Whoop, even though the honey turned on me in the end, it still has the most Christmas vibe. The Second Of The Three Spirits is also very Christmas-like. Best foody scent from this year's Yules? I haven't tried many foodie scents, I'd pick Haloa for my favorite. It's not straight-up foody, but it's very buttery/cakey with a twist. Best snowy/wintery scent? I like Woods In Winter, although the icy part isn't all that strong, it still fits this category. Best scent that you'll enjoy wearing in warmer weather? Maybe Altar To Cold, Rigid, Dreadful Death, although I never have a problem wearing any of my favorite Yule scents in warm weather. What's this year's sleeper scent? Maybe The Soldier? I think it appeals to the red musk/root beer crowd. And do you have an overall favorite yet? Again, The Soldier. I love it!

Oh cool! Is it a new bottle? I'm not sure! I thought someone here might know if it has always been like that. Probably has.

I love The Soldier! I was expecting something like Lawn Gnome but it's really not. Reading the notes, I'm really surprised there is no sassafras in there. I guess it's a trick of the black tea and leather? Or black pepper? Who knows. This smells herbal and sweet, and the red musk is there but it's kind of more airy than usual. I was concerned about the black pepper but I can barely pick it out. If you're in this for the leather you might be disappointed. I can barely tell it's there. Everything is just blended. This smells like some of my favorite GC scents. It smells like Blood Kiss, Kabuki, Fenris Wolf, and Laudanum are having a little party in my wrist.

2010.....the tobacco is a lot lighter than the older one I've tried. This smells like musk, herbs, and a little lemon. Actually it smells a lot like Carnaval Diabolique. I like the linen note, though. Edit: I have to say, after wearing this more and more in the last couple days, it has grown on me a lot and it is very, very good. I do wish it had just a little more leather and a little less lemon (not sure where the lemon is coming from but it's still there), and I would buy a full bottle. I am still considering it, but it smells so much like Carnaval Diabolique, there isn't really a need for me to have both.

Powdery summer floral. Washing off now.

Dee's label is different from the other GC's. I don't know if you can see in this pic (cell phone pic, sorry), but it looks more like the older GC labels, and there is a greyed out alchemical symbol in the background.

Well, indecisive as usual.... Wolf Moon '11....."Winter air, Terebinth pine, black spruce, long-dead maple leaves, juniper berry, dusty orris, deep amber, white sandalwood, brown musk, blue cedar, ambrette seed, benzoin, and tonka". I like Wolf Moon '04, and I love Wolf Moon '07, so I pretty much have to get this! It's possible I won't like it as much, or that the brown musk or something else will ruin it for me, but I just have to find out. Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse...."A voluptuous and brittle blend of lunar oils and white chypre shimmering with darkly glowing red musk, golden amber, black currant, patchouli, rose peppercorn, blackberry, ylang ylang, and daemonorops astride Yuletide’s holly berry, white pine, winter rose, and myrrh". Well, this is quite a mixture of notes, which sound kind of hit and miss for me, and I'm especially concerned about ylang ylang and winter rose. Really have to think about this one. I like the idea of white chypre. I just don't know! WILF....."Warm fur coupled with red and black musk, vanilla bean, patchouli, champaca flower, juniper berry, chocolate peppermint, frangipani, browned sandalwood, ferntop ash resin, and massoia bark". I typically don't like "fur" scents, or most things with chocolate, or "browned" anything, especially after the failure the was Howl In The Darkness when it touched my skin. But.....but.....it's forum-only! Inspired by Lycanthrope! Will I be able to resist? I don't know! So that's one pretty definite 'Yes', and two 'I don't know's. Looks like I have some thinking to do!

There are potential problem notes here but they work together like magic. Galbanum is green and rooty. On its own it is overpowering and not pleasant, but here it is tempered by the sweet fig. Fig also has an earthiness that compliments the galbanum. Fig can be too sweet and sometimes reminds me of bananas (thinking of Lucifer which was unfortunate), but here it is balanced by the resins. I like frankincense but it can sometimes be too heavy. It has a way of taking over the entire fragrance. In this scent I have a hard time even picking it out, but I know it's helping to hold together the other two notes. Overall impressions: I applied heavily and the galbanum did stand out, but like I said it struck a balance with the other two notes. Sometimes the most simple scents are the best ones. Oddly after a while this scent seemed to fade away to nothing but I think maybe my nose just got used to it. The Nutcracker is everything I was hoping for. There is a Christmas candle aspect....just a little bit.....but it's a quality I enjoy. This is a winner!

This was disappointing.....I really wanted to like it and it just doesn't work for me. The verbena seems to be the strongest note, or maybe the cistus is contributing to that herbal/citrus aspect. The mint is pretty strong and long-lasting, and I am getting the feel of the brown musk too. I already knew I don't really like brown musk or brown anything really, but I had to try this because the woods and herbs sounded nice (especially pine, a favorite note). But what happens is the scent smells like there are one or two notes too many, and it just never settles into something I like. It's not offensive, and really with all the verbena and stuff behind that, it reminds me of Nyarlathotep, which I like a lot more. I will keep wearing that and Wolf Moon '07 (I really wanted Howl In The Darkness to be like a deluxe Wolf Moon that I would fall in love with).

List of notes: "Bergamot, candied ginger, honey, patchouli, pepper, and dark cocoa" Well, this is quite a warm, cozy scent, very yummy, as could be expected just from reading the notes. But....it's not really a straight-up foody blend, and it's not quite as sweet as you might expect either. It's spicy but it's also very smooth and wearable, on the male side of unisex in my opinion, and just completely blended, with no notes standing out very much except maybe the ginger. I can't smell dark cocoa but I can tell it's there supporting. Overall I really like this and I'd love a larger bottle if it weren't so dang expensive. As it is, I'll keep wearing my little sample and maybe some day get a larger amount. Edit: I got busy here at work, so I didn't really finish what I was writing. This scent has a small component of the whole that adds some kind of strange salty or doughy part of the scent. It's just an interesting little twist that kind of reaches out from the scent from time to time.