feline.by.design

You know, when I had applied Spirits of the Dead, I could have sworn up and down that there was grapefruit in this. It's probably the linden blossoms.

 

From The Herbal Collective :

 

The linden blossom (tilia vulgaris or tilia europeacea) plant is from a lime tree, but not the kind of citrus limes that we normally think of. These tall, graceful trees can grow up to 30 metres high with beautiful green, heart-shaped leaves. The majority of the essential oil comes from France and England, although it is also native to Europe in general. For example, "unter den Linden" (Under the Linden Trees) is one of the main thoroughfares in downtown Berlin. Definitely highly regarded. But why is this oil so mellow? Well, on the European continent it is very common to drink linden in the form of a tea (known as "tilleul") made from the dried leaves.

 

That sounds nice, doesn't it? Spirits of the Dead really suited me, as it bore a little resemblence to Baobhan Sith, although that could just be my opinion. Spirits did have a similar crispness, though it was absent in the apple tones in Baobhan Sith. What Spirits did have, however, was a gorgeous, refreshing herbal/citrus/clean fragrance I really appreciated and enjoyed.

 

And yes, I love Embalming Fluid.

 

Spirits of the Dead doesn't have much throw, at least I didn't think it did, as I reapplied the oil about three times during the course of my eight-hour work-day; however with a scent this good, I just want to *bathe* in it, so it might have just been my perception. Citrusy fragrances, or scents that bear a resemblence such as this one, don't seem to last very long, but they're enjoyable, especially when getting over a cold (aaah!).

 

I think this would be a lovely fragrance for the spring and summer months. Since I'm a big fan of citrus scents, and a huge fan of tea scents as well, I'm quite satisfied in having the Spirits of the Dead among my collection.

 

-doreen

On me, Annabel Lee is more prominent with the sweet pea, especially in its wet stage, than any other note. However, I do have a cold, which I know makes for a wonky review, however I really enjoyed this fragrance, and would like to review it, illness or no. The cucumber sort of adds a freshness to this scent, but in itself doesn't smell "cucumbery." The fragrance is mostly floral, with green and *wet* nuances.

 

It was quite nice, although at the moment I'm not in the best mood to appreciate kindly florals (*a-choo!*). Annabel Lee seems like a lovely scent to wear during the warmer months. I enjoy nondescript florals, and even with my sensitive sinuses, Annabel Lee was a gentle fragrance with me, yet still potent enough for one of my coworkers to smell it on me a few feet away.

 

I like Annabel Lee. I wouldn't mind getting another bottle, however I think a single bottle might last me well.

 

-doreen

I received this as a frimp today in my Blood Moon order, and I'm so glad I did! It's fabulous. I love the clean, subtle juniper that seems lightly offset by something sweet, perhaps citrusy (could be a twist of lime).

 

Since I have a cold, a piney, herbal fragrance really does my senses well. I ran out of my beloved Jabberwocky a few days ago, but now that I have this imp of Twenty-One, I think I'll manage with this cold. The similarities between the two are very scant, as Twenty-One is far lighter, more clear than Mr Jabbers. I don't think Twenty-One really smells overtly boozy; anyone who isn't familiar with the BPAL name or its description on the website would just brush it off as a clean, juniper-pine fragrance. So if you're worried about having your boss think you've been getting lush during your lunchbreak, I wouldn't be concerned a bit.

 

I had wanted to try this fragrance, and am so glad the Lab decided to randomly include it as a freebie imp. This is a wonderful fragrance that could be worn by anyone of any sex, and I think a man would smell quite posh with this on. It's a light fragrance, but doesn't really disappear on my skin; even with ruined sinuses, I can smell Twenty-One quite well on my wrists when I hold my nose against them.

 

Would definitely consider getting a bottle of this in the future. In fact, I'd better order a 5 ml at least with my next order, because I can't see my imp lasting too long.

 

-doreen

Bearded Lady is a very comforting vanilla powder on me, with the powder connotations akin to a fine, light powder as opposed to baby powder. The jasmine was light, and every now and then I'd notice it, but otherwise it lurked in the background, merely amping up the faint sweetness of the Lady. Its staying power didn't seem too strong for me, which sort of adds to its ethereal nature. The fragrance is very gentle, actually very new-mother-esque, if that imagery makes any sense: the ideal new mother, graceful and caring, looking over her seraphim in an angel-white crib.

 

Yeah... so it was nice. I shared a dab with a coworker, too, who liked the fragrance. "I want some of that Bearded Lady."

 

I did receive a compliment from a counter worker at a local "Mexican" restaurant when I was getting my lunch. "Something smells really good.... what is that?" I didn't tell her the name of the oil, as the fact that I bought fragrance oil online seemed to evoke such a "hunh?" expression on her face, I didn't want to further be deemed as a weirdo.

 

Although not my favourite out of the Carnaval Noir bunch that I tried, I am really impressed and love my bottle. It's one of those where one bottle is enough for gentle, musing moments.

 

-doreen

Morgause smelled beautiful applied wet to my skin. It was a gorgeous melage of violets and sweet blooms (jasmine? honeysuckle?), akin to walking through a strongly fragrant garden in the middle of the night, beneath a full moon and sorrowful stars.

 

As the scent dries, Margause goes lightly powdery, as if the garden had lost all life and became ghostly. I'm taking it the violet is coming to the foreground, however the other florals aren't far, bringing a certain sweetness to the normally aloof violet. The sweetness could also be attributed to the unnamed fruit in the fragrance, which doesn't smell like pears or anything citrus to me. Yep, that's a help now, isn't it? It ain't tomato, either!

 

Ahem, back to the review. There's a lot of power in just a wee dab of this scent, so I would be careful applying this one. With about ten or fifteen minutes of wear, there seems to be some herbs in the garden. An herbal note tinged with whispers of magic seems to flood the fragrance without overpowering the other notes. There's quite a lot going on in Morgause at this point, making it hard to distinguish notes seperately, but overall the scent is lovely, a fantastic represenation of female power without the brashness I was expection originally from the name.

 

The Lab has been generous in including this as a freebie imp for me. It's wonderful to wear on occasions where I need a more feminine scent, yet I don't want to be "girly." The scent is, as hangingfire mentioned, "womanly," but unlike some scents like Vechernyaya and Versailles, which are a bit too mature or out-of-character for me, Morgause still maintains a dignified, mature persona without being too unattainable.

 

The violets do bring out a bit of floral powder, but as with Numb, this seems to add a bit of freshness to the scent, unlike some powdery connotations some other florals can bring that don't always agree with me. I think if you liked Numb, and would like something similar that has more pronounced florals, then give Morgause a try.

 

-doreen

I believe I wore Torture King when going around as a Piggly-Wiggly employee. No correlation, I just wanted something a bit punchy. When I wear my Piggly-Wiggly outfit again, I may go with TK again or maybe something a little more Halloweeny, ie Harvest Moon.

 

I don't really have any BPAL that smells of bacon or like supermarkets... not that I would want any!

 

-doreen

Sin is definitely heavy on the patchouli. I thought I reviewed this already, but apparently I didn't. Anyhoo, Sin lightens up once it has made contact with my skin. This smells like a darker, dirtier Hollywood Babylon (must be the amber). There is a bit of sweetness on my skin that I attribute to the mingling of cinnamon and sandalwood with the amber. It prevents Sin from delving into a dark patchouli abyss.

 

After maybe ten minutes of wear, the cinnamon spice becomes more prominent in the blend. This is a very smooth, woodsy cinnamon, not too sharp, but then again, I love cinnamon and wouldn't really give out any complaints.

 

If you like Vixen and Anne Bonny, I can't see why you wouldn't like Sin. Sin, to me, is the darkest out of the the three and would be the best candidate for those into a darker, unisex scent. I would be willing to buy a bottle to share between Brent and I, if I could wean him off of Black Pearl. I'd probably wear it more.

 

-doreen

Why does my wrist smell like candy? It smells like some sort of sweet candy, not terribly cloying or rich, but... candy.

 

Once the oil dries, the candy-ish note does die down a bit, the sweetness now resembling a sweet floral. I'm really not familiar with Midnight's components: Nottingham Catchfly, night phlox, night gladiolus, wild petunia, panani-o-kai, ruellia, wild petunia, evening primrose, moonflower and flowering nicotiana. I really can't pick out any particular one of these blooms, mostly because I don't know how these smell. Whichever one of these floral notes smells like spun sugar, that one is most prominent on my skin.

 

For those gourmands who have floral leanings, or those who like sweet fragrances, you may prefer Midnight to most other florals. It's quite sweet, at least on me. I'm not sure if I would wear this often, but it would be interesting to wear on a day I'm feeling like a cupcake or something coated in powdered sugar. My skin chemistry gets nothing sour or bitter. It's like I dipped my wrist in sugar. I can definitely see the Pink Moon connection, actually, though I think Pink Moon's a tad sweeter.

 

Weird.

 

-doreen

Nuit, when applied freshly wet, smelled a bit like some sort of jasmine bubble bath or bath soap. This connotation changed a bit as the fragrance began to dry on the back of my hand. Nuit is a nice, soft, fairly unassuming floral fragrance, with jasmine being in the forefront. Jasmine and I are buddies, so this scent is quite nice, although I am not quite certain this would be something I would need a larger bottle of.

 

It takes about five minutes before the rose note unfurls in Nuit; gentle, soft, a touch melancholy, the floral notes mingle together quite well. In regards to the powdery feel that roses sometimes emit, Nuit is very low on the powder factor. It is there, but not very heavy. The fragrance overall is very light and immensely feminine.

 

Nuit is one of a few fragrances I have received recently in imp form that I had thought I had previously reviewed. Although Nuit is lovely and softly fragrant, with the sheer variety of fragrances in the BPAL catalogue, this is not a favourite among the BPAL florals I have tried. This is one of those "nice, but not me" scents that seem to be more fitting to a more mature woman, not necessarily older, but for a woman with a different style than mine.

 

-doreen

I know I've received an imp's ear before of Namaste, and I've looked twice now to see if I reviewed it, but apparently I haven't. I've forgotten what it smelled like on me as well, so I guess here's another go with Namaste.

In the vial and immediately on my skin, Namaste greets me with lemongrass, a fragrance I love in the discontinued Azazel and in the catalogue Somnus blend Nanshe. Lemon, lemongrass and lemon verbena scents work wonderfully on my skin, which makes me wonder why I got rid of Namaste previously.

Wait, maybe I didn't, and the original imp I received is buried in my music box full of imps. Hmm... oh well, back to the sniffing.

This is actually really nice. Namaste is not so bright and citrusy. There's a grounding note there that manages not to overpower the lemon or lemongrass. It manages to be both fresh and earthy. Frearthy?? No, okay, no making up words. All in all, I think Namaste is a nice scent when I want to feel both calm and focused. Since I'm in school for my BA, I think Namaste would be a good study aid or essay assistant to prevent massive freak-out due to deadlines and the horrors of certain subjects (what one will do to get a Writing minor, I tell ya...). I'd like to start bellydancing classes (again) once my life gets a bit more calm, and I think Namaste would be a great fragrance. It's not overpowering. Those looking for an earthy scent that isn't spicy or doesn't smell like moist earth may want to try Namaste.

-doreen

Hellcat smells like pancakes in the imp ear vial. I really want a trip to an IHOP or to the Breakfast Club downtown now.

 

For fun, I swab a bit of Hellcat on my foot. I've never tested oil on my foot before (no worries, it's clean), and the reason why I did this was because of the almond note in the description.

 

On my skin... yep, almonds, one of my bitter nemeses regarding fragrance notes. Ah almonds, how I detest thy ability to completely overrun a fragrance with your unwanted advances.

 

Syrupy, buttery, foody, almondy. If those descriptions tickle your pickle, grab an imp of Hellcat in your next order. They don't quite pique my interest, in fact I detest buttery fragrances as well, and so this imp shall be on its way out my door.

 

You know, it does smell like some candle from Yankee Candle Company, or some other candle shop.

 

-doreen

I think sophia_helix had a similar experience with Pain as I'm having with it right now. The lavendar isn't as strong as I had hoped, the pennyroyal is quite biting and brisk. It smells like mouthwash in the beginning.

 

After I let Pain settle down a bit, the fragrance oddly reminds me of a cd store on Park Avenue. ??? That's pretty odd. My skin takes away a lot of the sharpness from the pennyroyal somehow. This is very, very light, but a bit masculine somehow. It's actually not so bad, but somehow it smells like the inside of Park Ave CDs, a store that uses a lot of metal decoration.

 

I'm wondering if there is a light touch of leather in this somehow, as I seem to be getting a really light leather scent.

 

Whoa! I'm totally confused and confuddled! When I try to sniff my arm again.... it's gone! What a mystery. I'm not sure if I want to try this again or give it to my boyfriend. In any case, it's just so confusing I think I'll have to try it again at some other point. As it stands, though, I wouldn't get a bigger bottle of this, but the imp is quite confusing, I can't be rid of it at this time.

 

-doreen

Hmm... upon first application, Delerium smelled like a cacophany of apple, rose and lemon. Then, the apple kind of went a little subdued, smelling more like a rose soaked in lemon juice. Then... the inevitable: the rose takes over. But wait, it's struggling against the apple and the lemon. The apple and lemon have combined forces to prevent the rose from lording over the scent! Who will win this battle of wills?!

 

Hmm... who knows? Five minutes after application, the fragrance oscellates between a sweet, lightly candied rose and lemon soap. I don't know if this is something that I would like, although I like lemon citrus fragrances and crisp apple scents. This... I'm just dizzy with trying to figure out whether I could get down with this or not. It's as if the rose, lemon and apple have joined hands and are swirling around me in a mocking way. Somehow, Delerium manages to smell sweetly soapy, and I'm really not sure if this will work out well with me.

 

I'll have to scratch my chin a bit and ponder some more. Right now, though, the fragrance is way too soapy/powdery for me to consider as a fragrance I'd wear.

 

-doreen

In the bottle, Old Scratch smelled a lot like Arcana, however after application the two couldn't have been more different. The lavender ran away when it reached my skin, leaving Old Scratch smelling powdery to the point of being chalky, and maintaining that fragrance until the oil eventually faded out. I was quite alarmed. I had expected to enjoy this fragrance, but instead, I think it will be something to be swapped or given away, as it just doesn't suit me.

 

-doreen

Lightning is very clean. For those of you who haven't been keeping track of my reviews (which would likely be the bulk of ye), I clean fragrances. Is it my Virgo nature, or my desire for anything that doesn't resemble the stinky boys I live with? Who knows.

 

In any case, Lightning is a sweetly crisp, rain-drenched fragrance. I think there is some grapefruit or other sort of high citris scent that gives it a bit of sweetness and bite. The fragrance doesn't smell as floral as Szepasszony. This is a nice, clean rain oil that is bright and sharp as well. As the fragrance wears on, it does lose some of its crispness, but overall, the fragrance still smells like a sweet, early spring shower.

 

In its later stages, it smells of something very familiar, like some soap or room fragrance I've smelled before. Oh wait. It's the salty, ocean note that people have mentioned. Well, this isn't as salty as Jolly Roger, but still crisp and enjoyable. Wow. I used to be really opposed to "salty tang" scents, but now I might have to rethink my stance.

 

Lightning would make a fabulous room scent if you're into having a sort of crispness and freshness. It's definitely good here in Florida, when houses can sometimes get a bit musty due to the humidity. I can see myself buying a large bottle of Lightning for both home use and for making me smell all nice and shiny.

 

I'm very glad the Lab included this in my last order, and I'll definitely enjoy the imp until I get around to getting a larger bottle.

 

-doreen

Upon first application, Gypsy Queen was enjoyable. It was a bit dark, yet sweet, and reminded me of root beer or sasparilla. It wasn't what I expected.

 

Then, moments later, I sniffed my wrist again and had the imagery of a powdery rose doused in armpit sweat.

 

Oh dear.

 

I've had it on for about twenty minutes at least, and the sweat smell did manage to die down, but this powdery, at times a little sour rose note clinging to my wrist. It smells better now that the sweat smell has deteriorated (it might have been the neroli, perhaps), but on the whole, it doesn't suit me. There are not a good many rose blends that will play nice with me, but some do. Gypsy Queen, however, did not.

 

-doreen

Bengal, at first sniff in the bottle and while the oil was still wet on my skin, smelled a lot like honey. I love honey as a food, and this particular honey note in Bengal smells a lot like my jar of Tupelo honey. However, on my skin, Bengal quickly morphes through the variety of spices in its repitoire; the peppers, ginger and cinnamon ooze by on a slow cascade of honey.

 

The honey note, or perhaps its reaction with my skin or with another note, turns to plastic syrup on me. The honey note goes from golden Tupelo gorgeousness to the honey that's in those little plastic containers on the side they give you at diners for your toast. The spices shriek away in horror at this meld of plastic and inferior diner honey.

 

Damn. There may be some salvation for Bengal in becoming a room scent for me, but my skin chemistry did battle with the honey note and lost big-time.

 

-doreen

At first, I thought Alice would be a bit too sweet for me, but it seems as if my skin is tempering it a bit. The carnation seems to be the prominent note off the bat. Alice is spicy, but with a lightly milky, soft base. It's interesting.

As the fragrance wears on, the rose is stirred from its hiding spot, grinning from ear-to-ear. The rose is of the powdery sort, but it can't quite break through the spice of the carnation.

I can't figure out if I would wear this or not, but it certainly is a curious scent. I'll be holding onto my imp to see how often I reach for it. This is quite a quirky fragrance, definitely something for someone looking something unique with a spicy kick.

-doreen

Wow. How lovely.

 

Queen Gertrude was a swap for my imp of Venom, and I am quite pleased with the result. The fragrance is light and unassuming, very clean and soft. The violet is the predominant note, and although the scent itself seems watery, there is no aquatic note to speak of (yes!). I like the delphinium note as well, having experienced it in Sophia, which I now have a big bottle of.

 

I think Queen Gertrude would make a great night-night scent. This is not a fragrance if you are trying to make a strong impression. It would be ideal for a traditional office-wear scent, or if you're trying to wear something sweet and innocent to cover up your natural naughty temperment. This is a very light purple scent, definitely gentle and not overpowering, which is fantastic for me living with a man who has allergies and sinus sensitivites. I have to give him some reprieve from my stronger fragrances.

 

I shall be putting Queen Gertie on my big bottle list. Along with making a fantastic fragrance for my skin, it would be awesome to make into a linen spray. I want my pillows to smell like Queen Gert! It's great.

 

-doreen

Veil smelled lovely, until I read in the description there was gardenia in this. "Really?" I took a sniff. Oh dear. "Yes," said my nose.

 

Gardenia is one of those notes I dislike that manages to take over a fragrance. Maybe it's because I don't like it that I notice it moreso than the notes I do like (ie lavender and sandalwood and the like). Feh. If the gardenia wasn't in this, Veil would be a fantastic clean fragrance.

 

Veil smelled lovely in the initial sniff, but gardenia just blew it out of the water. If you like the sweetness of the flower, hey, it's for you. Veil, however, is not for me.

 

-doreen

I really do not care for the almond note. The fragrance is just so sweet and cloying; it will ruin a fragrance for me. Hence, I don't really care for Eden, although the "almond milk" note is a lot less potent than the traditional almond note. I don't detest it, but it's definitely not a favourite. Still, as always, I'm willing to try pretty much anything the Lab would send to me. But that won't mean I'll love it.

 

-doreen

Strawberry Moon is definitely the epitome of a warm summer strawberry. In the beginning, it almost smells a bit overripe, but the sweetness stays on while the rotting bits seemed to be cut off as I wore it longer.

 

I received an imp in a swap (thank you, kind person who knows who they are) and it's taken me this long to finally review it. I'm such a slacker.

 

In any case, I'm glad that I have an imp of Strawberry Moon whenever I have Strawberry Shortcake moments, but I don't think I could have used a whole bottle of this unless I used it as a room scent as well. It's a very fresh, summer scent, but I normally don't wear fruity or gourmand fragrances. This, however, is making me salivate for strawberries. I don't really get a heavy plastic or fake smell from this, especially in the very beginning of the application. After a while, the fragrance seems to fade into something that isn't quite the "fresh berry" smell, but it still smells good, even if it's lightly imitative rather than authentic.

 

Bon Vivant didn't really go with me, but Strawberry Moon seems more palatable. I'll enjoy my imp while it lasts, but I won't mourn too much when it goes.

 

-doreen

This was a freebie with my most recently received order, so thanks go out to the Lab for allowing me to try this out. :::thumbs up:::

 

Masabakes smells sweet and dirty in the bottle. Hmm.... intriguing. On my skin, it maintains the same fragrance, but it lightens up a bit, seemingly as my body heat warms the oil. It's still dirty and sweet, but a little less dark on my skin than in the bottle. It's really interesting, but I can't really make up my mind. The myrrh is dark in this, but as it's worn longer, the fragrance lightens up overall, making a sort of earthy sweetness that I think I could really get down with.

 

I don't know how often I would use this oil, but I think that there are some times where my mood would really suit this. Despite having so many bottles and so many more imps, I don't think I have a suitable dark, earthy scent that fits certain moods and outlooks I might have. Masabakes seems to fill in that slot very well, being earthy yet not too dark or bitter, which is the issue I've had with oils such as Capricorn, Yggdrasil and Nocnitsa. The currant, which is what I assume is causing the sweetness in Masabakes, is really fantastic blended in with the tempermental myrrh, a note that isn't too stern in this fragrance. Actually, this would be very good to study with.

 

This seems like a fabulous oil for centering one's self. It seems suitable for serious moments, but without being too stern or ornery, as the earthy nature seems to contain a hidden smile or two. Definitely something to consider getting a bigger bottle of in the future.

 

-doreen

I was really looking forward to House of Mirrors, and I wasn't disappointed at all when I tested it. Light, unisex, crisp, a little cheeky--all that I was looking for.

 

House of Mirrors doesn't last as long as I'd like to to, which isn't surprising as it has citrus notes, but that would be my only complaint. This is a great scent for many purposes and moods. It's something I can throw on for work without smelling too obtrusive nor too generic, and I think it's a good fragrance for being around someone with allergies, like my boyfriend. Although he may complain when I go a bit overboard with some fragrances (which, with BPAL, a drop can sometimes be too much), but this one didn't elicit any grumbling from him.

 

I'm so glad the Lab released this scent, as although I'm very fond of my lemon citrus fragrances, it's nice to have something a little different. Granted, the citrus wasn't terribly noticable; it acted more as something that lightened up the main amber note, which was also fabulous.

 

All in all, House of Mirrors is lovely, and I enjoy my bottle tremendously.

 

-doreen

Viola is such a lovely name, and I had been wanting to try this fragrance out forever as a part of my Rose Quest :::huzzah!:::, so I finally broke down and ordered it in an imp pack. Now, here are the details of my experience with Viola.

 

First off, man, the imp was a bit hard to pry open, but once the sucker popped off, I was greeted by a lovely fresh rose fragrance. On my skin, though, Viola turned a bit odd. The wetness of the rose is more pronounced, and I keep thinking I smell some sort of sweet, candy additive in this mix of florals, however it could be my mind just playing tricks. Looking over the notes again, however, reveals it's probably the Mandarin orange I smell. Oh. It's very subtle and light, so don't expect the orange to dominate the fragrance.

 

With the mix of Calla lily and the multitude of roses, this was bound to go powdery on my skin, and Viola does not deviate from this, unfortunately. The fragrance goes powdery rather quicky, within a few minutes after application. It isn't overwhelming, but at the same time, the oil loses some of the freshness and crispness I like in most of my preferred rose fragrances.

 

Overall, Viola didn't grab me, which is fine. I'm sure she may be able to tempt another who wants to flirt with the rose fragrances.

 

-doreen