ND¢

Back in the day, when I'd only been introduced to BPAL the past year, Black Lace came out and I bought a bottle because everyone was so excited and I knew I'd better. Time and events intervened and I traded or sold it, only to be able to reacquire a bottle these many years later. Very lucky. I don't think I appreciated it back then. This oil definitely progresses in stages on me. The sort of cotton and a sudden stained smoky sense at first, that opens up into a musk that blends more nicely with, and itself unfolds into, the tobacco as the vanilla warms up. Complex, sophisticated, beautiful and still sweet in the end, but definitely debauched.

At first I thought it was going to be a mistake. I keep going back to the honey note and it keeps... well, not working in all sorts of different ways. But I like it. I want it to work. I thought this was going to be Honey Moon 2005 turned up to fourteen. Make no mistake, this is a bold flower honey with a little bit of that chilly snow note coming out with time... the honey is wildly spicy floral, almost carnation honey, very authentic and achingly sweet. Wear this when you're ready to make a big impact.

If you like this, you might also like the smell of Brunette Wig Spray. The amber and sweet oudh is very reminiscent.

So what's weird is that this inspires a powerful nostalgia: I feel like I've smelled it, and damn if I can remember where. A long, long-ago scent. Weird! Strong out of the bottle--almost immediately I notice that it's not just cherry. There's the sugary sweetness along with, I want to say I associate this with a light very delicate pale fougere? Someone mentioned almost boozy and I wonder if it was this sort of subtle seediness that I'm smelling. I sometimes have this association with a thick slather of Slime Queen and I *always* ascribe it to the 'base' scent of Dorian. So, a wisp of that smell but enough to kick up so many associations. Then it sort of tones down a bit, more sugary cozy fun.... Loving this one and feel privileged indeed to have it.

As a rule, fruit BPALs and I have a fraught relationship. This is a challenging one for me because it's so beautiful.. I couldn't tell it was pear upon application, but it is dominant, light happy trills of rice milk and pear slowly calming and blending with the white musk into a still very sweet scent but a more harmonious chord without the touch of jangly pear at the front. I will not seek a bottle... yet....

This is an incredible blend for Dorian lovers. It's got that Dorian heart with a bit of a pink sugary-sweetness to it. I guess I'd say this feels a bit cuter and less grown up than Dorian, but the fougere/cotton candy really works.

Can't believe I've never reviewed this. For those who love this, I bet you also love Pinched With Four Pumpkins and Arcana's Two Finger Ballet. This is a delicious, strong, boozy caramel that mixes so uniquely with the iris and, later, carnation. The sandalwood and patchouli play second fiddle but add great depth of field.

The tobacco blends so harmoniously with the champaca, which itself so nicely compliments the vanilla... This honestly smells so good I'm surprised it's legal. Words like 'delicate' don't do it justice! And I feel like a classier person when I'm wearing it. Love.

Funny thing is, dry on my arm it's a light, cute version of Hod. Just minus the somewhat strident Carnation but... *shrugs* it's really nice.

For me the vanilla is a dead ringer for the fancy baking vanilla and the sandalwood is very subtle, initially smoky and with a very organic twinge to it on the drydown. I can't stop smelling it.

I think this might smell great on someone who can deal with the really vigorous drydown stage but it is murder on my skin chemistry. Very interesting, close, subtle scent once the PHWOOOOOO wears off.

It's beautiful and it didn't smell like I was expecting it to smell. For me it is firmly in the (beloved) camp of original Hungry Ghost Moon, FFSZ1, Tamamo-no-Mae. I suppose I expected the cocoa and cashmere wood to ground it, round it out a bit more.

Adding this review before this scent goes down: if you feel the Snake Oil variants during the Great Snake Oil Scare Ongoing have not been hitting the mark, I recommend you get a bottle of this at the minimum. It's by far the closest to Snake Oil As We Know It, with the guttery dark-pumpkin and coffee smell others have mentioned (which amps the Snake Oilness of the blend.) I would have sworn that this was made with Snake Oil™ and after getting this upon its release and sitting with it, I've decided to get some more.

This blend is not overhyped. The hype is absolutely deserved. I blind-double-bottled this and I am absolutely coming back for another serving to give as courting gifts to my hypothetical future soulmate. So smooth that no one note stands over the others. Got a faintly Old West vibe, like Al Swearingen would be sporting it during an episode of Deadwood. This perfume is a SOUND. I love it.

This is a cool, sweet scent. I feel like the blossom is a touch indolic? or maybe the lotus root has a bit of a bite? Not smelling any tea rose from this, but it's fresh from the mail. The almond blossom and lotus root are the most notable for me, from the get go. I can tell the amber will come into play. ETA: There's the tea rose, a little, on the drydown. And the vanilla lending some depth... yes... yes... so elegant. so gorgeous.

The high note ('frozen' or fuzziness of the labdanum?) is a little sharp for me, but this is still a pretty, unique scent.

Got an unknown # bottle... I'd say this is resinous and sweet, with some labdanum and a gentle almost dried flower note. It's a soft, gentle, fuzzy and sweet skin scent, like Antique Lace if it was utterly without vanilla.

Honey with a strong, high top note that's aggressive and unusual but not unpleasant.

Perfect authentic sweet, fresh strong coffee.

Corn chips? Dog feet? Skin chemistry can be brutal.

Had to search high and low before I was able to get a partial of this. What a dolt I am for not having snapped it up when it was live. You know what this reminds me of? Part of the gorgeous appeal of Snake Charmer. Nowhere near as complex and doesn't contain many of the needed elements but it's a whiff in common and I love it.

Something sent me off to The Land Of One Million Sneezes (guessing it's a combination of factors, but not something present in Blood Moon 2005, which does not trouble me) but I was able to note this is a very brash, bitter patch/spice scent. Menacing, almost. And then, the sneezes.

This is the one Yule I blind-bottled after having realized that maybe sometimes I do like SOME vetiver. And boy, am I glad. I will say this is not my typical BPAL, I would not normally smell like smoky black tea but this to me is just a letter-perfect loose black tea, smoked and waiting at the bottom of a cup. So good.