Juushika

2011 version. In vial: Warm, spicy, bready. On me: This goes on as warm spice with a jumble of other notes--a hint of El Dia de los Reyes (hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar)-style powdery chocolate with cinnamon, a distinct sweetness; no mint or fruit to speak of. But it stabilizes after drydown to a warm, spicy, nose-tickling, slightly powdery gingerbread with a top note of candied red fruit. Despite the different notes, it feels very like Enraged Groundhog Musk (cranky groundhog musk sweetened up by chocolate-covered black cherries, cardamom, French vanilla, and caramel), a powdery/spicy brown base with a sticky-sweet tart red heart. Verdict: Red fruits amp on me, and I particularly regret that here. The gingerbread is heavily spiced and I really want to enjoy it, but I find that fruitiness a distracting and unwelcome addition.

In vial: Sweet, gently fruity, with a hidden herbal note. On me: A warm red scent, almost but not quite fruity-floral, certainly dragon's blood resin or DBR-adjacent, with a smooth, sweet cream or honey backdrop. It has a gentle spice, which helps complicate the scent. Distinctly similar to Dragon's Milk (dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla), but I find Dragon's Milk to be more intense, more sweet-but-spicy--a little harder to wear, but more interesting. Great longevity, but after a few hours this goes a little stale/sour/grape-like, echoing the cough syrup others have reported. Verdict: Pretty and wearable enough that I wouldn't be adverse to wearing this for its intended practical use. As a perfume, it's a lesser Dragon's Milk.

2012 version. In vial: Red musk and--sometimes I get sandalwood, or at least a powdery resin; sometime a touch of incense. On me: Red musk backed up by a smokey vetiver. Red musk tends to amp on me and this is no exception, but it's almost balanced here. A distinctly red scent, warm, smokey, resinous; a little spicy, a little sweet; it tends powdery, but the thin vetiver helps balance that. The throw is enticing and a touch elusive, thin as smoke; the skin scent is distinctive and prickly in the nose. Verdict: Not quite so good as the description (I love musk, but wish red musk weren't so overpowering on me), but still a success. The witchy, slightly feral warmth of this is pleasant when I'm in the mood for red musk. The bonfire smoke is its saving grace.

In vial: A pale lemony amber with herbs hiding in the background. On me: Goes on richer, warmer, sweeter. But the herbal elements predominate in drydown: astringent lemon and herbal top notes, a touch of spice and almost-fruity booziness, and a broad backdrop of golden mead. Verdict: This has the wrong balance for me, reading in almost perfect reverse order of the notes, when what I really wanted was an ornamented, enriched honey. Not for me, and tbh I ended up washing it off.

In bottle: Masculine, cologne-y. On me: The same, a masculine, cologne-like scent, a little sweet, a little spicy, herbal, airy, aquatic--but mostly just "cologne." On cloth: Still the same! Verdict: Is this leather? is it Old Men? I've gotten this scent from BPAL before, not strictly from their leather but often from their masculine blends. Whatever it is, it amps on me and/or I'm bad it's reading its nuance; regardless, I don't like it.

In vial: Smoky sweet patchouli. On me: Liquid caramel, in the same vein as liquid smoke--a one-note but profoundly rich, burnt-sugar caramel scent; you wouldn't eat this--you'd put in a drop to flavor something else. Reminds me very much of a less floral Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, which either means that I amp caramel or that I'm getting the cream/honey from Zoe and the Goat and just can't pinpoint it. A stable, non-morphing scent; decent throw and wear length. Verdict: Not at all my thing; it's simultaneously too strong and too simple. But I layered it with Fearful Pleasure with great results, so I imagine I can use my imp precisely to add a drop of liquid caramel to other scents.

In vial: Smokey, ashy. On me: Goes on as a cool smoke/embers/ashes, a thin vetiver, slightly stronger than the vial scent. But on the skin, this warms into the most lovely musk I've ever encountered, red and sweet and fuzzy-smooth, like peach skin; intimate and warm, just slightly discomforting for its blood note. If the vetiver is present, it's just to tone things down--this retains a hint of coolness. But throw is minimal and wear-length is only around three hours, even when slathered. On cloth/hair: That same beautiful musk, but more animalic, more shallow, and less robust; a touch of vetiver. After a few hours, a dupe for Satyr's musk. Verdict: I find myself conflicted. I love musk, and this is a remarkable musk, a skin/golden/red combo which I wouldn't quite call blood but do sincerely enjoy. But it's awfully one-note, and fleeting. I'm curious about layering it with a vetiver-heavy scent to bring back that missing note.

In vial: Dead Leaves and maple syrup, actually. On me: Sweet maple syrup on top, darker leaves underneath, with a woodsy note and some of the tobacco-esque bitterness I've gotten from some of the dead leaf blends. As it dries down, those vegetal elements predominate--an almost bitter, rotting scent which isn't hugely strong or offensive but isn't particularly nice either. On cloth/hair: Distinctly maple syrup, strong and sweet, almost cloying. Verdict: I can't get this to balance for me, and more's the pity, because it works so well in theory. I wonder if aging will help?

In vial: Dryly vegetal. On me: Goes on with pumpkin in the throw and leaves closer to the skin; the dead leaf note is obvious and gives a slight powdery, spicy edge to a nutty, slightly sweet pumpkin--very promising. But as this dries down, pumpkin predominates. It's not too waxy or powdery, which I tend to get from BPAL pumpkin, but it's pretty sweet and one-dimensional. Almost no throw. Verdict: That initial nutty, toasted, vegetal pumpkin/leaves combo well fulfills the intent of this blend, but my skin chemistry renders this pleasant but unremarkable. Too bad!

In vial: Light and slightly sweet pumpkin with brown undertones. On me: This is beautiful when it goes on, a mild and gently sweet pumpkin that avoids being either waxy or powerdery. It gives way to the oudh, which I don't know that I've smelled before but do like: a resinous, complex scent, rounded and deep, a little piney, not too perfumey. The pumpkin adds a slight sweetness and not much else, and as this wears the oudh grows increasingly piney and less complex. Limited throw. Verdict: I want to like this more than I actually do. There's a golden moment during drydown when the elements balance each other and are unusual and beautiful, but I don't love this on either fabric/hair or skin, and it doesn't have a lot of oomph. But I'll keep my decant, and I imagine it'll improve with age.

In vial: Dead leaves with a gentle sugary vanilla. On me: Goes on as lovely sugar cookies, a pale, sweet vanilla with a warm bakery scent, not at all sicky or sticky. The dead leaves come out more in drydown, a gently outdoorsy, brown scent, not as vegetal as in some of the other Dead Leaves blends, but pleasantly non-foodie and tempering the sugar cookie. It's a beautiful and stable blend, very much "Dana O'Shee (milk, honey and sweet grains, but it's always smelled like almond snowball cookies to me) goes outside in autumn." Verdict: Pretty, comforting, lingers on clothes as an earthy sweetness, palatable but unique--I'm seriously considering a bottle buy, and this is one of the better Dead Leaves I've tried. It's gently seasonal, but I can see myself wearing it throughout the year.

In vial: You know how a BPAL box can gain that de facto amalgamated BPAL scent? This smells like that. On me: Cinnamon comes out on the skin to give this a distinctive spicy red warmth. But amber/sandalwood/patch is still the heart of this scent, and it's very much generic BPAL. It's pleasant but powdery, warm, dry, well-rounded, but entirely missing a top note; the cinnamon feels very samey rather than cutting through it. This clings close to the skin. Verdict: A fairly unambitious, unremarkable scent, but the truth is that sometimes I root through my collection, unsure what to wear, wishing I could just wear that amalgamated box scent. And now I can!

In bottle: Sweet, deep, dark, almost resinous. On me: That sure is berries! Sweet tart red berries, which my skin amps, so they take over the whole scent. Underneath is a promising dark smokey sweetness that help keeps the berries in check such that they're not too tart or overpowering, but this is still one-note. On clothes, since skin isn't a fair test with my chemistry: This starts out significantly more balanced, a boozy, resinous, yeasty sweetness with a hint of berry. It reminds me of Gunpowder (Halloweenie 2008 Carrot peelings, hay, chaff, molasses, maple oats, red apples, stable wood, and musk.), another not-quite foodie scent, mostly because the yeast/bread doesn't feel as strictly gourmand as does something like chocolate or vanilla. But The Witch's Repast is much sweeter than Gunpowder. As this wears, the wine predominates, boozy and red, warm, still fairly sweet. Verdict: Not for me, in either application. I would prefer this if it were less sweet or, weirdly enough, if I got the roasted meat--it needs something darker to tone down the wine and honeyed bread, to make it more witchy.

In vial: Woodsy, almost nutty, a light brown scent. On me: Immediately sweeter, fuller, and very potent; a touch floral, very woody. It's not a cloying sweetness, but very rich. This develops into a round, deep, incredibly strong scent, almost opaque, dark solid yellow-brown. I applied this pretty lightly, but it's hugely strong. I washed off most of it, and beneath was a greener, more herbal, almost medicinal, woodsy smell. Verdict: Does this feel like "honey of a poisonous plant"? yes. But do I like it? It's distinct to the nose, unique, but never particularly enjoyable; the honey/wood combination is overpowering and weirdly unpleasant--weirdly, in that it seems fine as a concept, but in practice I'll pass.

In imp: Deep dark red fruit. On me: This has an immediate and welcome hit of vetiver as it goes on. As this settles in, the red fruit is hinted at in the throw, moderately bright, slightly sweet; the skin scent is more distinct and well-tamed by vetiver, a deep rich red, warm and smokey and spiced. I don't get either the fruity/floral/perfumey quality (like dragon's blood resin) or red sharp tartness (of berries) that I get from most of BPAL's red fruits and berries. The cloves and vetiver, with a hint of poppy, balance things beautifully. Verdict: A solid 8/10. I liked this more on my first test just because it exceeded expectations; after spending a while with it, I'm not as blown away but I am pleasantly surprised. This is a cherry for people who don't like fruits, beautifully blended and complex without having a heady perfuminess, rich and warm and deep, cut through by a hint of brightness.

In the vial: Almost-burnt sugar and musk, a dry spicy reddish scent. On me: Rooibos as it hits the skin, dry red herbal, not quite spicy but warm. The burnt sugar/musk comes out again with drydowna combination similar to Smut, the alongside rooibos it's entirely unique; nor is it sweet, despite the impression is sugar. The scent has a good body without being too heavy, a feel of golden woods/resins; it's a dry, warm, and red: gender-neutral edging towards masculine; warm and lovely, but too dry to read as sensual. Needless to say, a distinctive if difficult to summarize scent, and has a smoothness that makes it feel more like a distinct smell than a well-blended combination of notes. Verdict: I find myself reaching for Chaotic far more than I expect. It's too unusual to be called understated, but it has an unassuming smoothness that belies surprising warmth and distinction. I admire it more than I love it, but sometimes it's the perfect thing to wear, and I'm glad for my decant.

In the vial: Dark, tart pomegranate, perhaps a touch of rose. On me: Soft, dusty rose balancing out pomegranate's tartness; a rich, dark scent, round with fruit, overlayed with patchouli and a bit of spice. Rose amps on me, but this one stays pleasantly in check; plum does likewise, and this one gets a touch too distinct for my taste but also stays reigned in. A well-blended scent on the whole, dark and round with fruit and spicy-sweet, yet gentle. It's strongly reminiscent of Queen of Clubs, but I prefer that scent. Throw is moderate low; wear length is moderate high. Verdict: Queen of Clubs wowed me with its wearable rose and dark, dirty fruits; Crypt Queen is in many ways similar, but never passes from "good" to "great"—whatever magic marks QoC, it isn't here. And that's fine! It's a beautifully realized scent on the whole, dark and round and complex, but I'm not in love and don't need to keep my decant.

In the vial: Surprisingly sweet, with spices (peppers more than clove). On me: Dragon's blood and pink pepper, but basically: spiced bubblegum is spot on (not lotus's sharp bubblegum sweetness, but a just-opened stick of the stuff, still dusted with powder. A sweet, pink , full-bodied but slightly powdery scent, with nothing of the darkness that I'd expect from a number of the notes. Throw is moderate. Verdict: While not actively unpleasant, this is far from my style; I washed it off. I wasn't expecting such a sweet scent; as it is, it's full-bodied and tolerable despite my avid dislike of everything it stands for, but, no, I don't need to keep my decant.

In the vial: Red musk and honey, a blushing and thick scent but not too bright or cloying. On me: What is says on the tin: warm red musk; red, dry, spicy carnation; myrrh which leans towards incense, brown and slightly powdery; thick smooth honey which offers more texture than sweetness. The carnation is strong when it hits the skin but dies down during wear, which is my only big complaint; it is such a promising, bold carnation at the start. Three of these notes (all but the carnation) often go sweet on me, but La Passion keeps itself in check—perhaps because three of the scents (all but honey) tend towards powdery, and the two aspects balance one another. The result is a red scent, tending a bit towards pure red musk (which I amp), but exhibiting all its aspects: warm, spiced, leaning towards but not quite reaching dry, palatable and quite lovely. Scent color is (surprise!) red; throw is high but not overpowering, and wearlength is moderate to long. Verdict: Carnation is my beloved, so I'm sad to see this one fade; red musk amps on me, so La Passion reads a bit like every other red musk blend. Nonetheless this is lovely: the notes are beautiful in concert, and the scent is a warm red beauty. I'll keep my decant, but don't need more.

In the vial: A dark, smoky, dry, spicy, reddened scent. On me: Well-blended to the point of seamlessness; dry and with no trace of sweetness, which keeps the notes in check. Warm, smoke over cedar and colored by cinnamon, dark but not heavy, almost understated but, on skin level, not at all shy. Scent-color is a smoky, hazy bistre. Throw is moderate to low, but occasionally reaches out longer tendrils of cinnamon. Verdict: I'd half expect a blend like this to have some sort of booziness or sweetness to give it counterpoint or punch, but Umbra's beauty is that it lacks that; instead, it's a pure smooth worn-wood darkness—the cinnamon gives it color and interest, but the scent on the whole could almost make you think it was understated, a background note, which belies its well-blended depth. It doesn't stand out, and I doubt I'll remember to reach for it frequently, but it's an accomplished not-quite-a-background scent that I'll be happy to have around. I'll keep my imp.

Resurrected/2008 version. In the vial: Snake oil's vanilla and spices in an astoundingly thick out. On me: It goes slightly dirty as it hits the skin, cigarette smoke/bourbon vanilla-esque, atop vanilla and spices. Once it dries down, however, this is pretty much what Snake Oil ought to have been, except that Snake Oil disappears on my skin: it's a dark spicy vanilla and a touch of amber, a subtle and deep and sensual scent, sweet but smooth, spicy and dark, warm and brown. I get plenty of resins a little dark fruit, especially in the throw, differentiating the scent from virgin Snake Oil. Throw is low, but the scent shows no shyness at skin-level; wear length is very long. Verdict: Considering my tumultuous relationship with Snake Oil, I'm pleasantly surprised how much I like Snake Charmer (Resurrected); it's not love, but this is what I'd always hoped Snake Oil would be, in spirit if not in every letter, and so I appreciate and will keep my decant.

In the vial: Lemon, with some background notes I can't pin down. On me: The sharp oils of lemon and orange; mint hiding beneath, I thinka sharp, citric scent. The sharpness wears off during drydown, revealing something sweet and familiar beneathgrape and florals, soft, sweet, and almost frosted; a pale, slightly powdery scent. There's a hint of rose, but surprisingly it doesn't overtake everything else in the blend (I usually amp rose). Verdict: Nicer than I anticipated, but not at all my style. A sweet, cool fruity floral, Bess is unusual and I suppose palatable, but I washed it off and will trade away my imp.

In the vial: Currant; a dark red scent, not too juicy or tart. On me: Juicy and tart to the extreme as this hits the skin, backed up by slightly bitter woods. The two aspects balance out during drydown: a rich base of nonfoody woods topped by slightly subdued dark red fruits. It has moments when the fruits get too strong for my taste, which doesn't surprise meI have a love/hate relationship with that note, which I like in theory but in practice is often too powerful for my taste, especially since my skin amps currant. But on the whole the woods ground the scent and keep the fruits in line. A warm, red, smooth scent, rich and royal. Scent-color is dark rosewood/mahogany; throw and wearlength are both moderate verging on high. Verdict: Like but not love, enough to keep the imp but not half enough for a bottle. I imagine aging will do good things to this scent, maintaining an even better balance of wood to fruit, but honestly I'm surprised to like this so much as it is: I find that red fruits are often only a theoretical desire, but these are unique and well-balanced, and quite lovely.

In the vial: Surprisingly sweet, almost Jack-waxy pumpkin. On me: Goes on strong pumpkin, midway between earthy and waxy, with something chemically sweet in the throw. The waxiness of the pumpkin dies off during drydown, leaving behind an understand and earthy pumpkin rind. There's a chemical/medicinal/herbal note at the heart of this blendfennel and spices and licoriceand I just ... don't like it. Most rooibos I've encountered is an herbal equivalent to red musk, but I get nothing of that warmth and color hereit's just a spiced, curried pumpkin. Verdict: Pumpkin Masala Roobios is effective as a non-sweet, non-traditional spicy pumpkinherbs and unusual spices over a savory pumpkin base. But the spices always seem a little off and unpleasant to my nose, and I just find nothing to like here, none of the warmth I was expecting, nothing palatable in the blend. I'll trade away my decant.

In the vial: Dark, a bit bitter, a bit dry. On me: The bitterness blossoms as this hits the skin—clove and orris root, maybe, a dark sharp scent. The musk comes out with drydown and the bitterness fades; the scent transforms into a warm, dark spice with a red/purple shift. It's a dense, dark scent that hovers close to the skin, spicy and hot, a bit powdery, musk with clove thorns, sensual and dangerous in the same scent. Throw and wear length are both fairly low. Verdict: I'm not head over heels, but I am solidly won over. The Moon Gazed on My Midnight Labours is what I would expect from the notes, dark and warm and spicy; it doesn't try to play nice by offering up any sort of sweetness (even though musk is usually sweet on my skin), but is gorgeous in its own right. I expect it will age well, too. I'll hold on to my decant, but I don't think I need a bottle.