Juushika

The 2009 version. In the vial: Sweet but gently, so—the scent has a golden-orange color and a lovely warm, thick softness that keeps the sweetness under control. It's hard to describe, but I like it. On me: For the first hour, this is a conceptual interpretation of candy corn: warm and golden, thick but with a soft, squishy sort of texture, gentle and really lovely. After the first hour passes, it becomes the precise, glorious scent of candy corn. I wasn't even sure what candy corn smelled like until I smelled this, and similarly I find it hard to describe. Soft, sweet, warm, plush, pure candy corn. I want to gnaw off my own hand, it is that accurate. Wear length is fairly long (5, 6 hours maybe?), but throw is sadly low. Verdict: The golden warm scent on the drydown is wonderful, but the pure candy corn that it becomes is just breathtaking. It shouldn't, after all of these years loving BPAL, but it still surprises me when the Lab can pin such an elusive scent so precisely—but they do here. This is incredible and incredibly addicting. I was worried that even if it smelled nice, I'd have no reason to smell like candy corn on a regular basis. I shouldn't have worried. I want to smell like this all the time—and I am thrilled to have a whole bottle.

I am exceptionally wary of tobacco, but reviews of this scent convinced me to try it despite my doubts. In the vial: Dirty, smoky vanilla layered over cheaply lacquered wood, but there's another note here that I can't pin down. The scent is tolerable but a bit unpleasant—but it has the potential to develop into something lovely. On me: Hello there tobacco. Immediately after application this is everything I feared about the scent: stale old cigarettes against cheap, dirty wood. Luckily the harshness of the tobacco fades within a few minutes, but something of it remains, dark and dirty. The heart of the scent is vanilla which reminds me distinctly of Snake Oil: thick, very dark, and not too sweet. As Snake Oil does on my skin, it also pulls a bit of a disappearing act, a savory-sweet elusive scent that haunts the throw. But even if it's faint, this reminds me very much of vanilla extract left so long in the cupboard that it's thickened and gone grungy at the cap and is accompanied by a hint of cheap, peeling wood. Verdict: This is a dark, savory vanilla with a lot of potential, but I can't move beyond the mental image of too-old vanilla extract in a peeling cupboard. Perhaps without the tobacco or with richer, deeper woods, this would work for me. As it is, it's not quite offputting but I'm not won over. I suspect that aging will help this scent deepen and develop, so I'll hang onto my imp for a bit—but I won't be wearing it as it is now. (And for what it's worth, it smells absolutely nothing like Glowing Vulva to me.) ETA: Five months later, and aging has done The Antikythera Mechanism some good. It's worse wet than it was before, dark and dirty and sharp, really just gross. But the drydown has grown better rounded and more robust: a smooth, time-worn, dark wood with aromatic vanilla pod, and the tobacco adding a dark haze. I'm still not in love with the tobacco—I like its darkness but it smells dirty to my nose (and not in a good way), so this isn't a blend that I'll wear often. But the rest of it is lovely, a dark and intimate scent, so this is worth keeping around.

In the vial: Mostly milk (goat's, I don't know, but certainly milk), but slightly sweetened. It's a very accurate, foody scentI could imagine drinking this were it not, you know, a perfume oil. On me: The milk actually reminds me a bit of breakfast milk left in the bowl after the cereal is gone: slightly sweetened by the sugar, slightly thickened by the starch, smooth and creamy and foody. The fig comes out after about ten minutesit's a ripe purple fig and contributes a subtle fruity tartness, just what the scent needs to balance out the sweetness. Ironically it's less foody at this stageperhaps the myrrh steps up, I'm not sure, but the scent becomes more sensual than edible. Scent-color is opaque cream; scent-texture is a thick smooth liquid. Throw is a bit too low. Verdict: An unequivocal successeven if I wish there were a few more inches to the throw, because I'd love to be swathed in this scent instead of sniffing it from my wrist. I get nothing animalic or goaty from Nonae Caprotinainstead it's a sensual, smooth scent. The sweetness and figgy tartness are in lovely balance, and the milk is so fluid that I can almost feel it against my skin. It's wonderfully done, and I'm thrilled to have a decant.

I'm in search of BPAL perfumes which evoke animals. Not just because they contain musk or are named after an animal, but because they somehow invoke the feeling or fur or image or personality of an animal. Any animal—I prefer cats, and also tend towards large furry mammals, but I'm curious about everything. So ... suggestions, anyone? Mine are listed below. The Lion: Fur, musk, and dry grasses; a strong, calm lion in his natural habitat. Ivanushka (LE): Blond musk and velvet fur, brushed by forest leaves. A pale deer on the edge of the woods. Fenris Wolf: A feral wolf, pretending domesticity; hot-blooded and warm-skinned beneath thick fur. Satyr: Thick brown fur with a dense velvety undercoat; like cuddling against a protective beast. Coyote: Dry grass and musk, a coyote on long plains. Bastet: A cat lounging and stretching in golden sunlight. Black Cat: The personality of a cat: aloof, independent, playful, sharply quirked, and difficult for others to understand.

I was lucky enough to snag a beautiful tarted imp. In the vial: Resin and wood, or else a polished wood. It's surprisingly pale and faint. On me: Initially it's very much wood, and not ancient at all—it has a cedar-like sharpness and a pine-like astringency. Much of that sharpness swiftly fades, but it doesn't leave a whole lot behind: resins which, however beautiful, are faint and pale. Really what this is is Heavenly Love and Earthly Love lite: lots and lots of resins with a touch of incense, but lighter and fainter and paler. Slightly malleable (like ambergris), golden, smooth, polished, warm. The only odd thing is a slightly saltiness. Scent-color is pale gold. Throws is very low. Verdict: It's so similar to Heavenly Love, and yet such a pale comparison, that I think I'll pretty much stick with Heavenly Love. Cathedral lacks the depth and shadows in Heavenly Love (which surprises me, as my imp is so old), which makes it more difficult to discern and somehow less breathtaking. And when I catch it, that odd salty note is a touch disquieting—on top of all the resins, it smells a little too much like dirty skin. Nonetheless I'll hang on to this, for a bit. It may be a good warm-weather alternative to Heavenly Love, and it is on the whole a lovely, if pale, golden resin.

In the vial: Smoky pepper, slightly sweet, with a touch of very dry chocolate (think El Dia De Reyes's cocoa powder, but as dark as Boomslang's deep dark chocolate). On me: This is a smoke and pepper scent, like the rich swathes of flavored smoke that you'd use to preserve meat. It's not harsh, or sharp, or really all that dry—this is smoke that's almost solid enough to cup in your hands, but smelled from a distance where purer air has filtered out the ash. The caramel is more of a texture than a scent, filtering out the smoke's harshness and giving it that rich, malleable texture. But I get nothing of the chocolate, and this saddens me—I adore chocolate and it's what drew me to this scent. Scent-color is dark gray. Throw is low. Verdict: As Dark Chocolate and Pepper-Smoked Caramel, this is disappointment—where oh where has my beloved dark chocolate gone? I only have a decant, but if those floating black specks are the same chocolate absolute in Boomslang then I'm not surprised that the chocolate disappears on my skin (as it does in Boomslang). But I am, still, saddened. However, as Pepper-Smoked Caramel this is surprisingly lovely. Thick, smoky, but never harsh, it's an uncommon and sensual skin scent. I'll have to adjust my expectations to fit, but that done this is a scent worth keeping around. (And I may have to try it on fabric, to see if the chocolate sticks around.)

In the vial: Sweet creamy vanilla with a powerdy floral. It reminds me of something, but I'm not sure what—oh wait, I know! The bathroom my aged babysitter's house from my childhood. She was like a great-aunt to me, and her bathroom had a pink furry toilet seat cover and lots of doilies: pretty, sweet, feminine, but a little dowdy and stuffy. On me: The floral blooms, becoming less powdery, a bit more fleshy and airy, and a touch cloying. It has orchid's depth and shadow, but it is much sweeter than I usually expect from orchid. The vanilla too is sweet, but now it feels powdery and pale, not unlike baby powder. The combination of the two unfortunately has a lingering feel of old lady's bathroom: sweet, floral, a touch dowdy; it has the sort of texture of colored soap which has sat in the soap dish so long that it's dry and a dusty: powder over something firm and slightly waxy. Scent-color is opaque creamy red-violet. Throw is moderate. Verdict: I may have to retest this later with a drop rather than a swipe, because I suspect Regan would be better as a subtle hint of scent. When it's obvious, it feels too old lady to me. I had expected that orchid and vanilla would be lovely together, a rare floral I can wear, lightened and sweetened. But the orchid is too dark and the vanilla too sweet, and it's all more cloying-floral than I expect from orchid. All in all I am unimpressed and unless a second test is dramatically different, I'll trade away my imp.

In the vial: Golden, creamy citrus. Yeah, I don't understand that either—but it's my first impression. On me: The scent is still golden, but the tangy citrus edge is balanced out a bit by something a bit more dry and earthy—probably a balance between chrysanthemum and marigold, but I'm not familiar enough with mums to know for sure. As the citrus tones down, there floral competent grows stronger. The scent is smooth but slightly powdery, a touch of sandalwood; there's a bit of sweetness from the vanilla, but never cloying; it's a very golden, warm scent. I don't get anything of the cinammon or amber incense, however, and the marigold's earthiness remains subdued. Scent color is golden. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: I keep retesting this scent, ever confused about the citrus I get from it. I had such high hopes, and I wish that there were more marigold, more cinnamon, more amber incense to make the scent earthier, spicier, and less like orange and cream. As it is, Flowering Chrysanthemums is nice but doesn't capture me. It's creamy, golden, floral, just a touch powdery—a pleasant scent, and I may like it more if I divorce it from my expectations of what it could have been. Regardless it's not my new favorite, and I'll be content with just my decant.

In the vial: Very perfumey, but my lack of familiarity with notes like that makes it difficult to say how. It's a slightly sweet, herbal floral—cherry blossom with a touch of moss and vanilla. Not quite commercial, but it wouldn't surprise me to smell this in a department store. On me: Interesting, very interesting. As it dries down, the scent loses the element which I read as evaporating alcohol and associate with traditional perfume. The notes are still feminine and perfumey, but much more pleasantly so. Cherry blossom is the heart of the scent, floral, slightly fruity, pink hinting at red, a feminine note but not coy. The vanilla is more sweetness than musk, but it may provide the redish body that I sense in the cherry blossom. The moss has died down significantly, and only hints a touch of dry, light earthiness from the background; this may be the reason for the ended impression of commercial/alcohol-based perfume. This a sweet, light cherry blossom scent with just a touch of body and depth. Scent color is translucent, pale dark pink; scent-texture is airy on top and thicker and slightly fuzzy below. Throw is low. Verdict: As with many of the Lupercalia releases: I'm not quite sure what I think. It's more pleasant than I expected from the vial scent—the drydown does wonders for making it less department store and more, well, BPAL. The airy cherry blossom is lovely with the sweetness and slight body of the vanilla musk. Yet the scent doesn't capture me. Perhaps spring florals aren't to my taste, no matter how well done; perhaps the scent lacks a little character. In the end I have no strong opinions either way, and may trade away my decant just because I don't think I'll wear it much.

In the vial: Earthy and ... fruity? Honestly I have no idea. On me: Copal and patchouli, a thick and physical, almost fleshy, scent covered with brown dirt. But there's something more to it which I can't quite pin down—I presume heliotrope, since it's the only note I've never tried before. Rather than glittering, it dulls out the scent. Like playdoh or baby powder, it's flat and slightly gritty and just plain odd. In fact, I get no golden notes at all. This is playdoh and resin and dirt, a distinct and somewhat odd combination which is fleshy and dirty and brown. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: Resin and dirt are fine together, and may be lovely gilded as well, but Greed's off note, the heliotrope or whatever it is that reminds me of playdoh, isn't to my liking. While quite distinctive and not entirely unpleasant, this is just plain odd—and so, not something I want to wear or plan to keep.

In the vial: Crisp green apple, but darker than I expected; just a touch of ozone or snow, something cool and unwelcoming. On me: This is green apple, certainly, but it's not crisp or cool. Instead, the apple is swathed in something dark which might be musk, grounding the scent—grounding it very deep, until it's shadowed and dark and rich. There's just a touch of snow, enough to make the scent distant but not enough to make it cold. These are green apples, heady, nearing overripe, shadowed by dense darkness which makes them rich and deep. The scent never quite reaches sexy or evil, though it approaches both. Scent color is yellow-green muddied by dark brown. Throw is high drying down to medium-low. Verdict: This is not at all what I was expecting (which was something more along the lines of a tart, crisp green apple), but it's a pleasant surprise. I have Verdandi for crisp green apple; Snow, Glass, Apples is a deeper, darker, almost threatening take on green apple, and I quite like it. I'm not sure how often I wear it, but I suppose I'll find out—I'm certainly keeping my decant. ETA: Later on in wear time, the scent became heady, nearing cloying, and made me feel a bit nauseous. Perhaps the throw increased, or maybe the ozone/snow returned with a vengeance. I'll have to wear it more to see if it happens again, but the late cloying stage may make this unwearable.

In the vial: Amber, sweetened by vanilla, glowing golden-warm. This is like sunlight on skin, a golden fleshy scent. On me: The underlying scent doesn't change, although it blossoms and warms. At its heart this is amber—not powdery, but rich and smooth and fleshy, almost malleable (think: Jacob's Ladder). The vanilla is part and parcel with the amber, a barest touch of smooth sweetness but not discernible on its own. The orange blossom is less orange and more a gentle glow, like warm sunrays, that brings life and warmth to the scent. The scent is incredibly smooth; the fleshy amber combined with the way that the scent radiates from the skin makes it more skin-but-better than a perfume. Scent-color is glowing amber. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: I was expecting the orange blossom to be more distinct, and yet I completely adore Khryseê for everything that she is. If you like amber, you must try this—because amber is the heart and soul of this blend, and the other components provide nuance and warmth. The result is like sun-warmed skin, sensuous and glowing and smooth and simply so beautiful. I get none of the comparisons to Snake Oil; rather, this is like Jacob's Ladder with a soft citrus glow. I am glad to have a bottle, though it shall be interesting to see how this ages (since amber ages so well, but citrus often breaks down). All in all, thank goodness I bought this.

The Lurid Library, The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants. It's a Halloween release from two years back, but shouldn't be that hard to track down. It is the rich, smooth, thick first unprinted page of an old-book, creamy and slightly dusty and all paper, all the time. I recommend it all the time, but this really is my choice for best old paper/books.

In the vial: Warm, dark, faint, with something slightly plant-like—orris, I think. On me: A momentary spike of vetiver calms down to—oh goodness, I think I love it. Between the musk and vetiver there's definitely a charred harshness which waxes (sometimes too much) and wanes (more and more over time) but never fades entirely. Beneath it is vanillic amber barely touched by carnation—not unlike by beloved Inez, it's creamy and rich and slightly heady. The vetiver is more distinct on the skin, the amber and tonka in the throw. Musk adds a touch of warmth, powder, and spice; on the skin I get nothing of the orris. Scent-color is smoke-dimmed saffron. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: Despite my intital swoon for the amber and tonka, Prurience isn't perfect. The carnation doesn't quite rise to meet the strength of the vetiver, and so the scent is a imbalanced towards dry smoke instead of universal heat and fire. That's too bad, too, because with more carnation this could be lovely. However, I like it enough to hold on to my imp—we'll see how much I wear it, and how it ages over time. ETA: Five months after ordering it, and that bit of aging has already done wonders for this scent. The vetiver has calmed and tamed significantly, losing its harshness and becoming smoother smoke. There's still not a lot of spice, but a touch more overall warmth. The carnation isn't as overt as I prefer, but it's more distinct now that the vetiver has calmed. All over the scent is warmer, redder, less harsh. This has become much closer to what it's intended to be: warm, smoldering, but not yet scorched. And it is oh so beautiful. Aging can only improve this blend.

In the vial: Plum, fruity, juicy, and slightly bitter; along with it something that I can't pin down, white and starchy and so probably the rice. On me: The plum loses its bitterness as it is smoothed out by creamy vanilla. The gently-sweetened plum has a bit of a candle-like quality to it, which might be toned down by the sandalwood or nutmeg were I getting any of either; however, the candle-like quality isn't offputting. There's perhaps a touch of paleness from the rice, but mostly this is just plum and vanilla. Scent-color is a waxy pale purple. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: Lovers in a Ricefield is pleasant but a bit flat. It's just plum and vanilla for me, which is nice enough but lacks dimension—there's no warmth and texture from the spices, barely any starch from the rice, or whatever else I was supposed to find here. I don't know yet if I'll keep my decant, but I certainly don't need a bottle.

In the vial: Hello herbal. There's a hit of sugar too, but mostly I'm getting a dark wet herbal, not at all thin light violets I was expecting but instead something rather reminiscent of the catnip in 13 April 07. On me: I'd never smelled violets in perfume, and so I didn't know what to expect—but I certainly didn't expect this. The white chocolate is present, sweet and pale and smooth, but it's far secondary to the herbal violets. On drydown they lose their wetness, resolving to a dry and almost powdery herbal, dark green and deep. They die off a bit with wear, but remain the dominant aspect of the blend, and still remind me strongly of 13 April 07. Scent-color is powdery deep green. Throw is moderate to low. Verdict: I wish the white chocolate were a bit more present, but even if it were I doubt a sugary herbal would delight be. I'll retest this in a few more days, to see if the scent is still settling after shipping, but as it is this is just too herbal, too light on the chocolate, and all-around too odd for me. I'll trade away my imp. ETA: As it wears, the stark herbal nature of the violets continues to dry down. Within an hour this becomes much more pleasant, a soft powdery herbal against a more noticeable sweet white chocolate. However, it never quite reaches the point where I enjoy it. While it improves as it wears, I'll still pass along my imp.

In the vial: A touch of purple fruit and spices against thick, warm, creamy vanilla (like Antique Lace, but without the florals). The fruit and spice give it warmth and color, and all I can say is "god this is good." On me: For the first half hour, the date amps up to a sticky sweet rich fruit teetering on the line of artifical. But after that half hour, it fades considerably. Red ginger and a touch of oud are the star, a warm, slightly smoky spice that grounds the sweet fruit. The vanilla remains through it all (the oud's smoke conceals it slightly, but only when sniffed up close)—it's rich, smooth, and almost liquid, but not too sweet. Scent-color is red gold; throw is high drying down to medium-low. Verdict: When I sniff my skin directly, the oud is a little too smoky-dry for me. But from a distance, floating around me in a whispered haze of scent, Rutting Cats is simply lovely. The vanilla is rich and creamy, colored and spiced by the red ginger and just a touch of date, and it's a beautiful balance of smoothness and spice. I wish I could bury my nose in the scent, but instead I'll be content to enjoy the waves of it that surround me. I'll keep my decant, but don't need a bottle.

In the vial: Wet dark greenery with a perfumey floral edge, a thick, damp, decaying scent. On me: I'm reminded of the green waters of Oblivion—but where Oblivion is smooth and still, Isle of Demons has more life and movement. The greenery, grown less dark and rotting, adds a touch of something living. The florals are heady and, with the gas, have an airy quality—tropic steam floating over green waters. The musk is a faint nose-prickling sharpness. Scent-color is forest-green touched with magenta. Throw is low. Verdict: I could never wear this—I find the green water unsettling and the tropic floral isn't to my taste, and so I will pass along my imp. Still, this is an interesting scent—it's a wild wet tropic scent with dark unisex greenery, but it also has a surprising airy quality.

I recommend: Wezwanie / Hold, Hazelnut, vanilla bean, red sandalwood, amber, myrrh, and honey. I generally don't have problems smelling, but every now and then my nose goes a bit numb and most scents smell flat or weak. W/H is what I reach for thenit's a thick foody scent, strong sweetened hazelnut. It has a lot of body and it's a very distinct scenthard to confuse or ignore. And it's pretty lovely.

In the vial: A watery, fresh sweet pea—it's surprisingly refreshing and lovely. On me: A burst of pear and then a veritable explosion of flowers. I can't pick apart the florals, but there's heady fleshiness from the lilies and sweetness from the sweet pea and honeysuckle. The musk is powdery and dowdy—it hints at old lady. For a while the pear is just a touch of moist fruitiness, but within an hour it amps to a major component, tuning down the musk and turning Juliet into a crisp, wet fruity-floral. The florals are strong but not heavy, the pear is glistening and crisp. Wear length is moderate; throw is moderate to high, dying down to low. Verdict: The fruity floral combination here is quite palatable, but the wet freshness prevents it from being too commercial. It's a strong, bright blend. Despite being nice in its own right, I don't think it's a very good match to the inspiration and it's definitely not a good choice for me. This isn't my sort of scent in the least, and so I'll pass along my imp.

I thought I'd link in my similar post, asking for scents that remind people of animals. Some of the responses overlap with scents which smell like fur, for those still looking.

The 2006 version. In the vial: Sweet and golden honey with a fleshy pink floral (primarily rose). On me: There's an initial burst of amped-up bitter red rose, but during drydown the notes rebalance and round out. The fleshiness of pink florals are combined with a touch of rounded, slightly tart fruit, a warm base of amber, a hint of spice and incense from the sandalwood, and plenty of thick, creamy, slight sweet honey and vanilla to smooth it all out. It's a rich, thick, sensual blend, creamy and slightly heady, but more golden than dark. Scent color is pink gold. Throw is moderate. Verdict: Given my general distaste for florals, this is much more lovely than I ever expected. It's definitely a floral blend, but the resins ground out the headiness of the flowers and the creamy base of honey and vanilla is sensual and delightfully indulgent. This scent isn't anything like my usual style, and I don't know how often I'll wear it. But it's so lovely that I have to keep it around.

A sinfully playful lust blend. Inspires sexual spontaneity, a little bit of kinkiness, and new and inventive ways to get dirty. In the vial: Red, slightly floral, and candy-like—a bright, sweetened, slightly artificial scent. On me: Heavy florals and a touch of spice over that candy-red background. The florals is predominant throughout wear, a heady, fleshy, potentially tropical flower. The red background is probably dragon's blood resin, but this is it's candied form, sweet and thick and fruity-floral. The spice is very faint, perhaps a drop of cinnamon. Scent color is a pinkish red. Throw is moderate to high. I can't judge wear length, as I expect I'll wash this off shortly. Verdict: This scent doesn't really spark my sexual proclivities—probably because I don't feel comfortable in this scent, and so it has a difficult time making me outgoing or otherwise randy. The heady florals here are just too much for my tastes, intended use aside. I washed it off, and I'll trade away my imp.

In the vial: Astringent warm resinan odd combination, no doubt, of cypress and frankincense. On me: After an initial overwhelming hit of cypress, it calms down to a mere accompanying note. At its heart the scent is warm, smooth, and solid, frankincense perhaps touched by hazelnut. There's a bit of herbal dryness from the oakmoss, slightly powdery and masculine, and a bit of airy astringency from the cypress. The scent is very faint, throw is very low, wear length is low as well. Scent-color is smooth light neutralsgreen, touched by brown. Verdict: The initial strength of the cypress is outright intimidating, but the drydown is surprisingly pleasant. The resin, moss, and cypress is an odd combination, earth-warm but air-cool. It's a very quiet scent, subdued, just a hint of something surprisingly pleasant. But I'm not a fan of pine, and so I can't get past the astringency; the scent is also a bit too light and short-lived for my preferences. This was an interesting blend to try, but I'll pass it along.

2008 version. In the vial: Pine! A white pine, and I already think that this is not going to end well. On me: Commercial perfume, lightened by snow, brightened by pine. At first the commercial perfume is the dominant aspect, but the pine quickly overwhelms. Bright, astringent, and strong, it's just too much for me. I had to wash this off. Verdict: Absolutely not my scent and not a keeper. I'm learning that I truly hate pine, and this is a shining example: it's too astringent and too strong, and I can't stand it. Even without the pine, the underlying commercial floral perfume doesn't appeal to me. I'll pass along my imp.