cuervosueno

More and more the label is moving 'up' the bottle. Some of the protos I've gotten from etsy, the label is *right underneath the shoulder*. Measuring by label, while I admittedly do it, isn't an accurate assesment.

 

That may well be, but if that were the case, as a seller, I would describe it as such. To say that a bottle is full, when it sounds, in Illium's case, that it clearly is not, is highly problematic, and I think the seller should have tried harder for an accurate description.

Although really, does anyone believe full to top of the label is full? I do not consider that full and would not, not under any circumstances. If I was selling it, I would describe it as full to top of the label, not "full," even if I got it from the lab that way (which I never have in the 6 years I've been buying BPAL, btw). Sometimes a lab bottle is full in the neck, sometimes just in the shoulders of the bottle, but I have NEVER seen a lab bottle be only full to the top of the label.

 

Sorry, Illium, but I think whoever sold this to you did not describe the level accurately, and I would not consider it full.

I haven't used this in a ritual yet, so this is based simply on scent.

It is lemony. Not lemon per se, but lemongrass or lemon balm, or something like that. It's not as sharp as lemongrass can be, so lemon balm might be a better guess. It actually very much reminds me of the "citronella" lemon scent geraniums I have. It is bright and bold, and there is something creamy and herbal underneath that. It reminds me of some of the TAL scents to induce creativity.

I decided to check out some of the possible herbal correspondences, and this is what I came up with:

 

Lemon balm is tied to Venus, so this makes sense, actually. It is tied to healing, friendship, love and success. Another source mentions it as ruled by venus, but loved by bees, which are ruled by mars, so that makes sense to have it in this blend. Yet another claims it is ruled by Jupiter, so take your pick.

Lemongrass is tied to mercury, and is used for spiritual growth, psychic powers and purification, so that is also a possibility, though I'm still wanting to guess lemonbalm, but who knows, maybe a bit of both! Lavender is also tied to mercury, and is used for visions, dreamwork, protection, among other things.

Magnolia is tied to Venus as well, as is the rose. Rose is used mostly in love magic.

Those are the notes I'm guessing could be in here. I actually don't get a lot of rose, so I'm not entirely sure it is rose, but it could be. Or it could be magnolia. The floral aspect is quite light to me.

 

I get mostly a lemony herbal scent, which I feel is more likely lemon balm than lemongrass, but who knows? also a creamy floral. I didn't get much lavender, so I wasn't thinking it was in there, but when I sniffed the bottle again, I got just a hint of it in that first sniff--lemony herbal something that also could be lavender, though the lavender is not overpowering, and indeed, doesn't show up on me at all when I put it on.

I definitely do not get ginger. I like ginger, but don't get it in this at all.

 

I like it, and look forward to exploring its ritual uses.

I'd forgotten about Saw-scaled viper, so went back to read the description. then I saw why I no longer have it anymore. Cassia! It was pretty much all cinnamon, all the time on me, and none of the lovely ginger I was looking for.

 

Because of this thread, I did try the Origins Ginger, which was pretty vile on me, and compared to that, I think Ginger skulls is the closest to Origins Ginger (and yes, Ginger skulls was also pretty awful on me.....those with different skin chemistry may do better with both!)

I love tea scents, but anise is a note of doom and verbena is dubious too, so I didn't want to get this, but I did get a decant of this from a lovely mysterious forumite who included it in a suprise package for me.

 

When this goes on, it is gorgeous: lemon tea with honey! Really lovely! I can smell that suspicious lemon verbena, but it is not dominating the blend. It remind a bit of tea I have with verbena in it (I don't mind drinking verbena tea; I just dont want to smell like it!) After a bit, the verbena starts to go a bit soapy as it is wont to do, but so far, this is a pretty scent. Not as bracing with black tea as I would like, but pretty. I'm hoping the anise doesn't make an appearence!

Wow, this is really gorgeous! I knew I wanted to try it, because I do tend to like the lab's fig note, and I like patchouli. I didn't go out of my way to get it, though, because oakmoss and mushrooms are iffy on me. I almost always dislike dirt scents (though I'm crazy about Death Cap, my exception to the rule).

 

But a kind forumite sent me an imp, and this is just stunning! It's been awhile since I was really bowled over by a BPAL scent--I like a lot of them, but haven't had a "must have" for quite awhile. And this is a must have for me.

 

It's a really soft, warm, brown scent. I get fig, of course, but it's not overly sweet, and it's not fresh green fig, its more a dried fig scent. I don't get a dirt scent per se, but it does have a nice earthiness to it. I wouldn't know there was oakmoss in it unless, well, I knew! It smells like it has a soft sandalwood in it, not woody per se, but just warm and slightly brown, though of course sandalwood is not a note listed....it's just an impression I get.

 

It reminds me of my memory of Brown Jenkins. Now I've only tried Brown Jenkins several years ago at a Will Call, so my memory may be incorrect, but this reminds me of it in that it is a warm scent, slightly woody, slightly incensy, and all around soft and lovely.

 

I'm going to get a bottle!

Oh wow! I'm first! How can that be?

I got a decant of this from a lovely mystery forumite. I've been really wanting to see reviews, so as soon as I got it, I figured I better try it and review it!

This bears a passing resemblance to the March Hare, as I had thought it might, because of the apricot and the "tea" theme, though March Hare does not have tea in it. But while March hare is sweet apricot tarts, this is a very adult version, much drier and less sweet. Wet, the apricot is fairly strong, but once it is on the skin, the other notes come out more, and I get a nice blend of tea with hints of apricot and honey, with a strong dose of saffron, which makes to me adds a dry note to it (I always think of saffron as dry and very slightly medicinal rather than traditionally spicy). I don't get ginger, sadly. The vetiver is present, but only to add a very slight earthy note to this. I don't think I would have known vetiver was in this without reading the description, as it is not at all strong. Rather than apricot tarts, this reminds me of an apricot flavored tea, which dries down to a very smooth scent.

Overall, I think of it as a very grown up version of the March Hare, as if it were the Hare's older brother who went to law school (I'm seeing this scent as being more about the case than about Cohen himself )

It's very smooth and appealing, and I'd probably be totally crazy about it if not for the saffron note, which is not a favorite note for me.

Whoa! Lemongrass! This is SHARP!

 

I wish I got what sounds like lovely lemon cake and tea, but I do not. I get really strong lemongrass, like I've just peeled a stalk of it. It is slightly sweeter than lemongrass is, so I imagine that is the honey. I do not get tea or ginger, maybe a hint of grains, though, as this softens a bit. Still, this is pretty much lemongrass! I can't quite tie it to the name either, because this is so sharp and bright, that it just seems painful!

 

eta: an hour later, I sniffed my wrist and thought, what lovely sweet scent is that? Yup, the same! Now it is honey and grains, and quite lovely, and reminds me slight of dana o'shee without the creamy note. Interesting!

I got a decant of this quite awhile ago and had no idea what was in it, but found it pleasant: it's a sweet green on me, something like cut grass, or maybe, more likely, newly mown hay, as it isn't quite grassy, but more like hay. It is, in fact, what I wanted Hay Moon to be (and was not, at least on me). As I said, I had no idea what was in it, but I kept thinking....hmmm....soft leather too?

 

Then I finally looked it up! I love balsam, and these balsams are really nice, and grassy, with a bit of soft leather in the background, and while I would not have thought "vanilla" there is a soft sweetness to this too. It reminds me just a bit of Coyote, but the leather is softer in this.

 

I like "green" scents in the spring, and this one is a good spring scent for me. I swapped for a bottle and am happy about that!

This does smell like cereal, but not porridge to me. More like some sort of corn cereal. It is WAY strong, and kind of dusty, sharp cloves and porridge and something nutty which is not tempered by the cream (which I don't even smell). The fruits are candied and kind of sickly sweet.

 

I am not a fan.

 

My (German) husband said it smelled like artificial Lebkuchen, whatever that would be.

Not at all like I expected it to be. It's a green scent, and early on in the review thread someone said it was more a spring time scent than a winter one, and I agree. It is soft and green in the opening, with a hint of aquatic floral. I don't get any red pepper--well, maybe a ghost of red pepper, as there is something slightly spicy in the sillage.

 

It's ok, but not a kind of scent I prefer.

This smells like baby powder and plastic. Plastic from barbie doll, plastic wrap, plastic dildos.... So not a fan of this one...but I am glad I got to try it.

 

This made me laugh and laugh! I'm so glad this was not what I got from this! (though honestly, it is a little plasticky in the imp, but not barbie doll and plastic dildo level, thankfully!)

 

And I'm also glad I only have a little partial impsy, because this is just not my thing. In the imp, beyond the plastic, I get some fir, which seems promising, but when I put it on, wooosh! In comes the champaca shouldering its way in and say "WE"RE HERE!" (we would be florals). Champaca! Apple blossom! Generic flowered soap! We're all here!

 

All I get is a soapy floral. Maybe with a hint of the plastic shrink wrap the soap came in.

 

Not my thing. And surprisingly clean and delicate for a penis god, but hey, maybe he's a CLEAN (and plastic?) penis god!

I have a little sniffy decant of this, and I smelled it and thought holy hell, what is that! Not in a good way. I can't even explain what it smells like in the vial, just not good, though if I hold it further away I get a kind of gingery cream, which I was hoping for.

 

Still, I put it on, and thankfully the funk, while still there, fades fast. I have no idea what "the funk" is but it's not good. It's not wood, and it's not frankincense, and it's not leather, but the only thing I can think of is that this particular leather went wierd on me, because it's kind of chemically, and sometimes leather can do that on me. There's a hint of ginger cream, which of course is what I wanted, but it really can't overwhelm the funk, unfortunately.

 

This SO does not work on me. That's sad!

I just got enough of a sniffy of this to give it a try. I like orange blossom quite a bit, so that sounded promising, but when I sniff it and try it on, I'm mostly getting blackberry with a hint of mint. The orange blossom is there--more of an after image than an actual scent--meaning since I know it is there, I get a ghost of it, but I don't think this perfume really screams (or even states in a normal voice! ) orange blossom. It's mostly fruity and wood, and reminds just very slightly of Jupiter, in the sense of wood + fruit. But this definitly has mint.

 

It's ok, but luckily for me, nothing I must have.

patchouli and clove on me, dark, bitter clove, with a hint of dryness from the iris and sage. It's interesting, but it ends up turning a bit acrid, almost burnt on me. Not my fave of the vamp series.

It's odd that this and Tombeur smell so alike on me, given they don't share that many notes. Ok, we've got patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and bitter clove (or does Tombeur have bitter almond? Yes, it is almond, not clove, in Tombeur), but this still has some other things Tombeur doesn't, as in the ginger, the particular florals, and of course the leather.

 

And it is leather I get from this. It's really pretty when wet and in the imp, a nice soft leather, something well worn as the most lusciuos and soft leather gloves (leather pants!), and it's not an overwhelming leather either. Because mostly what it smells like on me is Tombeur with leather. So while I like it, I don't have to go searching for something hard to find, because I kind of prefer it without the leather.

Also, Tombeur lasts way longer on me. This starts to fade quickly, and has little throw.

I couldn't decide if I liked this or VILF better, but I think in the end, it's this, which is good since VILF is gone anyway. They are quite similar on me--just VILF has leather where this one does not. When I first tried these, I got hopelessly confused on which was which (simply because I couldn't remember which I'd put where) but I kept going back to smell this wonderful scent--both dark and woody, with something slightly astringent that made it sophisticated, and finally I realized it was Tombeur. It's hard to pick out individual notes here--I know for sure I get the hint of lavender (and here it reminds me of an elegant fougere) and a bit of patch and/or vetivert, but mostly I just get a dark, slightly dangerous scent, that is very appealing. Might be bottle worthy.

This is very sharp evergreen, like holly! It is so green to be almost menthol-like, not that it smells like it so much as it has the pungency. It is sharp! And yet, there is a flash of full fruity redness, too, like the holly berry (Very sharp--I accidently got some on my lip while sniffing my arm when the perfume was wet and it burns!) It's a very masculine winter greenery note, and strong and bold.

 

Captures the Holly King perfectly!

I love this! Thanks to a very kind forumite who was willing to do a swap that included this, because I love it!

 

Apples! That's what I get at first--apple cider! It's delightful! And slightly, but not overwhelmingly, spiced, just like, well, hot spiced cider! But there is something else in here too, and after awhile the cider fades some and I get a nice, slightly smoky wood, just like the scent of pine firewood. It's not necessarily a pine tree, and it's not woodsmoke, but more pine firewood. That's the scent, and there is something slightly sweet in here too, and maybe a hint of christmas greenery.

 

I absolutely do not get red musk, which is fine with me, as I don't like it, and amp it like crazy. If there is musk in here, I'm not getting it. There could be a hint of patchouli but maybe not.

 

I did like the comparison to Samhain. It's not that it smells like Samhain so much as the mood of it is similar, if a bit less dark and murky.

 

Very very nice!

 

eta: after awhile it turns into the most lovely wood and winter greenery scent on me--it really does evoke the season. Love it!

this is an interesting one. Slighty citrus green tea and something spicy in the imp and when it's wet, but on me, it pretty quickly shifts over to spice and resin, but it is never entirely resin. The fig gives it a sweet fruity quality, and there is something slightly dusty in there too (maybe the myrrh? BPAL myrrh doesn't always play nice with me). I do get a bit of carnation/nutmeg too, but not a lot. Everytime I decide this is mostly a dry scent, though, something green and juicy pops up.

 

It is indeed, a deceptive scent.

Glowing vulva bath oil!

 

Burning Vulva

 

and returning, Womb Furie!

I wasn't sure I wanted this. Glowing Vulva was gorgeous, but Giant Vulva was just "meh" on me, and while this has some things I love, it also has some things like leather and oakmoss, that can go wrong. Plus, lately a lot of the more complex BPAL scents have just been "meh" on me, so I wasn't sure. But then I saw a swap opportunity for a partial bottle and decided to go for it, and I'm so glad I did!

 

This is a big morpher on me, too. In the bottle and when wet it is a bit harsh, and has a "spice cabinet" scent--ie. dry but pungent spices, and a hint of sweetness. I supposed I'm getting pepper at this stage, and perhaps the red ginger, though I don't think "ginger" when I smell it. It smell almost medicinal at this stage, but once it's on my skin, the sweetness blooms immediately and I get a honey/beeswax note, and can tell there is vanilla in this. I also get just a hint of my beloved orange blossom.

 

At this stage, it's pretty but nothing special, and since I was trying Heroine on the same day, I can attest to the similarities....though Heroine seemed prettier in the first half hour or so.

 

But after awhile, this slowly turns, and it eventually becomes very beautiful, and very clearly a member of the "vulva" family. The orange blossom comes out and plays very well with the vanilla amber. After that, it settles into something truly gorgeous, that catapults this into a true favorite for me: it's final morph is to a creamy, golden resin scent, backed with sweetness from the beeswax and vanilla. It really smells to me like true frankincense (I know,it's not in here!) sweetened with a creamy vanilla--it has that golden, slightly citrusy note that true frankincense has (when the resin is burning anyway--I'm not talking so much about the EO), and it is backed with something creamy sweet and lovely.

 

I love frankincense, but BPAL frank doesn't always work for me, and what I'm often hoping for is just this golden note I get in here. I don't know if it is the opoponax Beth uses mixed with the amber that does this, or something else, but it is truly gorgeous. The leather never makes an appearance, btw.

 

And it LASTS! I can still smell it after I woke up and I put it on last night! It also is perfectly wonderful layered over Glowing Vulva bath oil! (which I use as a moisturizer).

 

Big win for me.

 

Well, I had to try this, as everyone loves Spanked so, and I'd never even tried the original. so I was able to get a hold of a sniffy.

 

Whoa! Hello there cardamom! This does have the heat of cinnamon candy, so I can see why people think it smells like cinnamon, but on me it is very clearly cardamom, just the strongest cardamom ever. It's like I stuck my nose in a jar of the cardamom pods.

 

And that's pretty much how it stays. I do get a bit of patch, but that's it. Nothing boozy. No leather, which is odd, because usually I amp leather. Just cardamom

 

I'm afraid spanked is not my thing, and it's one of those that I can tell aging will not make a difference for me.

 

Oh well--once less bottle to lust over!

I seem to be the odd one out on this--which I noticed in the reviews too--but I don't think Mother Ginger is fresh ginger at all. I think it is the bakery variety ginger, like gingerbread poppet, et. al.

 

I actually haven't found a BPAL that really does fresh ginger well to me. I do get it some in Kumiho, but even though I should have liked that (tea and ginger) it was oddly soapy/floral on me. Another one that has a touch of fresh ginger is Vixen, but it's pretty overpowered by orange blossom. I like it, but if you're not an orange blossom fan, you may not. Also The Great HeGoat has smoked ginger, and I think it smells more ginger root than bakery, but it is really quite subtle as the vetiver dominates that scent. (I love it, but again, it's not everyone's fave!)

 

Anyway, this conversation has made me think I might need to try Origins Ginger, as I was just thinking how much I'd like to have a true, fresh ginger root scent....

I was so lucky to receive a bottle of this as a gift, and I am so happy to get it, because it is lovely, and is indeed the gorgeousness that is Glowing Vulva!

 

I also don't use this in the bath. I put it on as a moisturizer after the bath--put it on wet skin, let myself dry a bit, then towel off. It is gorgeous for this--and the oil itself is perfect--not too heavy like the older massage oils, but just right. Sinks in quickly.

 

It's been awhile since I sniffed the perfume, but I remember it being a little heavier on the teak too, but I could be wrong. On me, this is the most glorious amber and cream, and as with the perfume, neither dominates. It's not a cream or milky scent--it's just that the amber has a creamy quality to it, if that makes sense. And it's a lovely amber, not the one that goes kind of funky on me (like Jacob's Ladder).

 

This has great staying power, but light throw. So I put it on 4 hours ago and can still smell it, but only if I press my arm up to my nose.

 

I put some in my hair too, but I put too much accidently so while I smell good, my hair is flat as can be! Oh well!

 

anyway, this is really gorgeous, and even using it as a moisturizer, as I do, means it will last a long time, as I probably use less than a capful for my whole body.

 

If you like Glowing Vulva, or think you might, get this! It's wonderful!