forspecial_plate

Aureus Malediction Mr. Jacquel Typhon (discontinued) Malice

This has a light, wistful feel that seems 'hollow' to me. I've heard other people use that word to describe perfumes, and I wasn't sure I got it. This is it, I think. Others might disagree, though. All the notes are here, and nothing is disagreeing with me. It seems more feminine to me than I was expecting. It smells white to me. I like the sweetness of the vanilla flower. Mr. Ibis reminds me of F5 at first (not surprising with the musk and aloe ferox, whatever that is) then later it reminds me a lot of Oblivion, only this is sweeter with the vanilla flower. As much as I like it, it's really not the kind of scent I feel like wearing a lot. I can imagine it smelling absolutely wonderful and subtle on someone else.

I found this to be very pleasant and wearable, which shocked me a little, because I had such a visceral reaction to Golden Priapus. The juniper seems to be strong in both, and for a while I thought I hated juniper, just because of Golden Priapus. But here it isn't bothering me, I actually like how it smells with the musk. It actually doesn't strike me as being really 'piney'. It's more of a sweet, fruity juniper berry scent with the other notes supporting. I would call it gender neutral, but that's coming from a guy, so there ya go. : )

Try Port-Au-Prince. It turns into pure clove for some people.

This is a unique scent, light and clean, not nearly as much citrus as I was expecting. There is something almost minty here, and I wasn't expecting that either. Maybe it's the artemesia. This is another one of those scents that is so well blended that none of the notes really stand out strongly. Sorry to make comparisons, I know some people don't like that, but I can't help but compare this to Antonino and Faiza from Carnaval Diabolique. I think it has some of the herbal aspect of Antonino, only much fainter. And I don't know why it reminds me of Faiza, maybe the mandarin. It's not humid like Faiza, but it has that dark almost fruity slinky aspect a little bit. It's a great scent, though, and I think I'm going to need more than the testable amount that I got to try!

*sigh* I really do love this. Basically, I'm getting woods and resin, with something more....something tart, maybe some vegetation or citrus like others have mentioned. But this is far from sweet. I can pick out cedar when I sniff up close, but that's just part of the whole. There is a middle phase where a little bit of powder comes out, and at this point I'm reminded a little of King Cobra. They must share a note, maybe the frankincense. It's not enough powder to bother me here in Doc Buzzard. It's just part of the complexity. Then much later the powdery aspect has faded, but I can still smell that resin that reminds me of King Cobra. I feel like I'm not doing this scent justice, the way I'm dissecting it. Overall, it's just amazing and I'm just a little heartbroken that it's so hard to get. I'm so lucky to have a decant, and I will treasure it, but I won't be able to resist wearing it!

This one did not disappoint! First off I smell a lot of spice. I thought, 'what the heck, does this have ginger??'. I guess it's the bay rum giving me that impression. To be honest, for the first half hour to an hour, the throw from Mr. Nancy smells a lot like Count Dracula on my skin, but sweeter. The sugar aspect comes out as it dries, and I'm definitely getting the Sugar Skull comparisons, but there is more going on here with the spiciness. I didn't get a whole lot of lime, unless it's just blending so well I didn't notice it. Much later, if I sniff right up close to my skin, it smells exactly like sugar cookies. Excellent!

Not only is 51 a wonderful concept, but it happens to be a great scent as well. It's light and glowing, something similar to F5 (from the white musk and citrus), but 51 has some strange elements that make it a little more mysterious and complex. It is well balanced, and works well for my skin. None of the notes are really standing out above the others. It's a spooky glowing night-time scent, airy and ethereal, with not much throw. If I sniff up close, I think I can pick out the woods. I was expecting this to be more fruity and juicy, but it's much drier, maybe because the woods, scrub, and night air are balancing things out. I'm not sure but I think I can almost pick out the hazelwood that's in 'The Great Red Dragon....' from the Salon. I think it's a possibility, although 51 is nothing like that scent. I am not heavily into this kind of scent (light, bright, refreshing, cool...), and I already have a bottle of F5, otherwise I might want a whole bottle of this. I might want one anyway....it's just a fun scent that works well for me.

Most of the Arkham scents that I've tried have a bold, garish quality that is interesting, but for me unwearable. There are a couple that really work for me, but most of the ones I've tried are too......I don't know, amped up or something. They remind me of when you look at a TV screen and the color setting is turned all the way up. I realize that this is on purpose, and I applaud Beth for her creative interperetation of Lovecraft's universe. They really are unsettling scents. The Deep Ones has that quality too. It is so sharp, tart, and bold that I can't imagine wearing it with any frequency. And don't get me wrong....it smells good to me! It's just too much for me to handle. On first applying, it smells very green and juicy, with something lurking in the background that smells.....almost skunky to me. It reminds me a little of Hemlock, if you've ever tried that. This is deeper and murkier. I agree that there's something tart and bitter here like grapefruit. It has a little ozone that comes out more strongly as it dries, and I think that's where the 'dryer-sheet' smell is coming from. This scent is so juicy and full it almost feels like you can take a bite out of it. It reminds me of a distant cousin of Kingsport. Kingsport is like standing on a cliff overlooking the beach, with crashing waves, and mist all around. The Deep Ones is more like being tossed around in those waves, with the seaweed trying to strangle you and coral poking at your skin. It's really extraordinary and I know some people are really going to like it.

This scent is sensual, but may be too sweet for some. Basically it smells exactly like a sweet Indian incense. You have smelled it before. I would have guessed honey is in it, but not caramel, at least not at first. As time goes by, the caramel starts to come out more. Red musk is nowhere to be found by my nose. It's a really pretty scent, but I fear too feminine for me. Very sweet, but not powdery to me. I would not call this gender neutral. However, I had my imps in a cigar box and this one leaked just a little bit. Now my box smells very lovely. I doubt I'll get any wear from it. I prefer Chintimani-Dhupa with its woods over this. If you like honey scents like Bengal you might want to try this.

I'm a guy and I like some of the woodsy scents. Add me to the Dee and Aureus fans. I wasn't crazy about Black Forest...but that's when I was going through my 'hating juniper' phase, and I would actually like to try it again. Burial might be good for woodsy and earthy. My favorite 'foresty' scent is the newer Wolf Moon (it came out in December of '06 but the bottle says '07). "This is the dead of winter: a frozen night, chill wind, and the sharp, warm perfume of blood, fur, fang, and claw. Winter air, Terebinth pine, juniper berry, dusty orris, deep amber, white sandalwood, black musk, blue cedar, and tonka." Actually it's one of my favorite bpal scents, period.

I don't have Embalming Fluid any more, so I can't compare side by side. From memory, Herbert West is very similar but has a darker, murky side. There's something a little more husky about this, that reminds me of the deep aquatic of Cthulhu, just a little bit. I could be imagining this, but I seem to be smelling a faint rubbery note, like the seaweed component in Cthulhu. But yeah, like everyone else said, it's a lemony scent with maybe some tea, and I swear there's just a hint of mint in here. Cool and refreshing with a bit of a dark side. I really like it and I keep taking deep sniffs of my wrists....I would probably prefer this to Embalming Fluid or F5, even though they are a lot alike. (F5 is brighter and more cheerful than this) I could see myself switching my F5 for this.

I like The Dodo. For me the cassia dominates for a while, but in the throw I can smell tartness and fruit from the lemon peel and maybe mango. It's true...it smells different up close. The fruit/tartness disappears up close but comes out in the throw, but so faint it's really a teasing note far in the background. After a long while, it balances out and I think some of the other notes are coming out, but nothing that I can really pick out as one particular note. I never did pick up on the red musk or woods. Cassia smells a little dusty to me and it's not one of my favorite notes. However, this is an interesting scent.

I added this to my wish list because it had some notes in common with Snake Charmer. I mean....I knew it wouldn't smell like Snake Charmer, but I was on a plum kick for a while. I know a fabulous imp-fairy who spoils me from time to time and *poof!* there was Megaera. Fruity scents like this (Megaera) are very hit-or-miss for me. This one doesn't quite work. In the vial, and right after applying, this is a nice light and effervescent scent. Then the fruits emerge, and I'm not crazy about how the plum mixes with the bergamot and grapefruit. Basically it's kind of like stale candy on my skin, and not much else. About 2 or 3 hours later, the amber takes over and it's much better. However.....probably not something I will reach for. : (

For me this is sharp soap with some ozone. I did a search for benzoin and that's how this ended up on my wish list...otherwise it may not have been on my radar at all. I do like moss, but can't smell it here. Just soap, soap, soap with little or no morphing. : ( edit: I forgot I reviewed this already, and actually forgot I had already tried it. So I tried it again! : ) This time, it's a much lighter and softer scent than the above review would suggest. I have since sniffed white musk SN and I can really pick that out in Urania. It's actually not a bad scent at all, just too feminine for me to wear (and I had the same thought about White Musk SN). So I wanted to revise my negative review a bit. It's not as sharp a scent as I first thought, actually it's shimmery and pretty.

I really like Ostara. It has a complexity that reminds me of a couple of the resinous Salon blends....but really, it's like nothing I've smelled before. The flowers and resins are perfectly balanced, very harmonious on my skin. I am not a violet or strawberry fan, so I was interested in what those 'leaf' notes would be like. I think maybe they add some sharpness, maybe a touch of 'green' to the scent. So far, the three times that I've worn this, I haven't smelled the honey cakes or sweet cream at all, except in the bottle before I put it on. This is a great spring scent. To me it's definitely not a garden in bloom, it's more like the feeling of plants and flowers just before they really grow and bloom....a feeling of potential growth and power, if that makes any sense at all. It's amazing that a scent could capture such an abstract concept, but that's really what it smells like to me. edit: I just re-read my review and realized, I didn't really describe what Ostara actually smells like. It's not strongly resinous or floral, but a very even mix of both of those qualities....with a bit of tartness or sharpness, from the frankincense, or possibly the leaf notes. It's great that everyone seems to get something different out of it. It's a bit hard to describe!

Cthulhu works well for me. It's very aquatic obviously, a salty sea scent with a strong touch of ozone at the beginning. Later the deeper, darker green notes start to emerge. Lasts longer than other aquatics tend to on my skin. I like!

Fresh and clean, seems like strong ozone to me, unless I'm just amping that note. I didn't smell citrus right away, but now that I read other notes, I can pick it out. If you're curious as to what ozone smells like I would say give this a try. Smells nice but if I wear ozone blends, I prefer them a little darker, more complex, and/or deeper like Kingsport or Cthulhu.

Even though it has rum and you said no booze...I would still recommend Creepy, even if you just try a decant or a sniffy. It's a great caramel apple scent.

Mag Mell strikes me as a very strange scent. It starts out fresh and sweet smelling, kind of herbal, a little grassy, with a hint of ginger and a lot of verbena, which I happen to like. After that it slowly builds in intensity, and also shifts....a weird foody aspect comes out for me, very much like buttery cookies or baked goods. It still smells sweet, but turns into cake or cookies or something. Pretty odd, and I don't know what's causing it.....there's not one note that stands out, it's more like the whole thing together is resembling cookies to me. Maybe it's the amber and ginger. Weird, and although it's not unpleasant, I'm not sure I want to wear it again. I think Antonino or Polyhymnia are more to my liking for this kind of herbal/lemon-y scent.

Okay, so....I understand that there are some different myrrh notes in bpal scents. I think this must be the same one that's in Penitence. For me it smells very sweet and powdery, and dominates Dance of Death. For the first 30-60 minutes it's nearly all I can smell in this blend. After a while the myrrh calms down a lot, and I think I can smell the other notes emerging, mainly orris. It's still a very dry and powdery scent, on the sweeter side, and just not my thing. I may try it one more time just to be sure. Edit: On second try....I forgot I already reviewed this. Mostly myrrh at first, a little less powdery this time. The myrrh has an herbal and dry aspect from the patchouli and orris. Then the musk starts coming out after about a half hour. This has echoes of Lycaon and Typhon. I'm not crazy about this although I feel like I should be. Not my favorite of myrrh scents.

You might want to try The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed With the Sun. It's in the Salon section. Here are the notes: "Daemonorops [which is dragon's blood, I think], vanilla, Indian sandalwood, Mexican copal, hyssop, muguet, sweet pea, amber, hazelwood, galbanum, hiba wood, and orchid." It's a very warm, golden amber scent. I can definitely pick out the dragon's blood. It's also slightly nutty. On my skin the florals didn't stand out much, but some people do amp sweet pea so that could be a problem. You would have to buy a whole bottle, buy the Exhibit II set of Salon imps (they only come as a set), or find a decant (which is what I did). Hope that helps! : ) Edit: okay, I re-read the reviews...this could be more floral than what you're looking for. BUT...I wouldn't rule it out just because of the florals. It could surprise you.

What a great scent! I really love this! The notes are blended so seamlessly, at first I didn't even realize it had any kind of citrus. It just smelled bright, bold, slightly floral, sweet, and somewhat resinous, in a sunny kind of way. Reminds me of the daytime counterpart to Midnight On the Midway (then again, my nose has been known to make some strange associations, so this could be way off). It lasts for hours....a good 6 hours later and it's still here, mostly resins now. I guess the copal is what I'm smelling. I can see where someone would think this smells masculine. It reminds me of after-shave. I'm finding out that I'm partial to a lot of 'masculine' scents (fancy that!). This seems to be a golden-orange colored scent.

Blood Lotus is a fairly potent, sweet and fruity floral. I do get the hint of bubble gum at first, but as expected the dragon's blood pretty much takes over after just a few minutes, because that's what it usually does on my skin. After a while it backs off some, but as with most blends containing dragon's blood, this does very little to excite me. I already gave away my imp of Black Lotus, otherwise I would do a comparison. As I remember, that one worked out better for me, although I gave it to someone I thought would enjoy it more than me. I just am not a big fan of dragon's blood, and I can smell it in this blend. This isn't a bad smell at all...nothing repellant about it, nothing turning sour or bad on my skin. Just doesn't do much to 'grab' me like so many other scents do.

Wow...this thing is powerful! Very decadent, thick, almost intoxicating scent. Opium is the strongest note here...really stands out and becomes nearly powdery for me, but nice and kind of dizzying. I recognize the red musk from a few other bpal blends, and it blends nicely here. Not my favorite musk but I can handle it. The civet doesn't bother me. Honestly, I'm not sure I can tell it apart completely from the musk. Overall....I don't hate this scent, and I don't love it. It smells more feminine to me and at the beginning, smells nearly like a commercial, traditional perfume, mostly because of the opium I think. After a while, the scent showed NO signs of fading or backing off, until it did eventually become too much for me. I gave it a good while, about 2 hours I think, and finally washed it off....very tenacious scent! Just not my thing, personally.