Akurarei

Priala, The Human Phoenix In the Bottle: Heavy smoke note, with a burnt cinnamon edge On my Skin, Wet: Sharp cinnamon & damp smoke - like smoke in a very humid place. This one is strong & hurts my sinuses a little. On my Skin, Dry: Ahh, this is better. I get the myrrh(s) now, with an undercurrent of cinnamon and a very small whiff of smoke. It *almost* gets a creamy quality to it, but it's not at all milky. More like a cinnamon frosting, heavy with sugar. Verdict: This is a scent that will never be used in the hair or scent locket, it has to interact with the skin to reach that pretty creamy resin & cinnamon phase. Not at all a fan of the wet phase, but the dry down is quite unique & beautiful.

On me this one smells very much like regular Snake Oil layered with Sara Pezzini. It definitely has leather and the Snake Oil as a base. I thought it would be more complex than that, but I am perfectly OK with how it works on me.

Purple Spotted Swallowtail In the Bottle: Smells almost like fresh lemon rind to me. it does have a slight 'furniture cleaner' note to it, but it's very faint. On my Skin, Wet: an explosion of lemon, then the clove & some faint resins. this doesn't last terribly long before it does go a little more 'furniture cleaner' than I like. On my Skin, Dry: a strange combo of cloves, poppy, & lemon/lime it's interesting, but not something I usually gravitate towards. I picture this being more of a fall scent than a spring or summery fragrance. Verdict: different. I hope the 'furniture cleaner' note goes away over time - it's putting a tarnish on an otherwise very unique scent. not sure how to rank this one yet.

The Death-Horse In the Imp: dark & ominous - I smell mostly smoky, gritty resin On my Skin, Wet: An overwhelming blast of Lily of the Valley! and that's about it. On my Skin, Dry: Lily of the Valley, made of resins. this is a strange blend in the dry stage. I don't know how I feel about it in the dry stage...I certainly was not expecting such a presence from the florals. Verdict: it's OK, but I was just expecting something more resinous.

Obatala In the Bottle: Not much there - I can tell it's a delicate scent, but I don't pick up specific notes here. On my Skin, Wet: Awesome coconuts, a coolness that is probably the water, a touch of something sweet. This is very soothing and calming in the wet stage for me. Just lovely! On my Skin, Dry: Still coconuts, but they have receeded a bit. I get a touch of the milk now, and it's blending with the shea butter. The shea butter is quite distinct on me in the dry phase. This has morphed from a cool scent to a warm scent. It strongly reminds me of a rice dessert I used to have while visiting the grandfolks in Mexico. Verdict: This is a perfect summer scent! it's light & refreshing then becomes soft and warm, welcoming, even. just beautiful!

Death on a Pale Horse In the Imp: Not much there, it almost smells of nothing, but the little bit I do smell, I can't describe. On My Skin, Wet: Sandalwood & Lemon. mostly a dry sandalwood, with hints of dried potpourri lemons... these are not juicy fresh lemons. On My Skin, Dry: .................. this smells exactly like a great aunt who passed away many years ago. lovely lady, and all this scent does is make me miss her Verdict: scent -wise: it's ok. I prefer Yukki-Onna for lemon & sandalwood Memory-wise: OMG incredible! I wish the memory evoked would have been a little happier...instead it just made me sad.

Xmvlzencab Soap This soap was very smooth and silky, just as advertised. I loved the sweet honeyed ginger scent, but was suprised on how faint the scent was - I think I expected a stronger ginger throw. Lovely soap that felt great on the skin, just not potent in the scent department for me.

I find that putting some BPAL on two fingertips (preferably index & thumb) then putting the BPAL in thin strands of my hair works best for both keeping the scent from reacting with my PH and allowing faint scents to stay stronger, longer. A beautiful scent locket from the Post works great too

Black Pearl In the Imp: Evil Coconuts On my Skin, Wet: Slightly boozy/musky coconuts I don't notice anything else in this stage. I don't know where the faint booziness is coming from, maybe the iris? On my Skin, Dry: Coconuts, a hint of sea water (I have no idea how Beth does it! but it's great!) and the musk makes a distinct appearance in this stage. Verdict: I will probably get a bottle in the next order or two. I really like this for a summery blend that isn't all florals all the time - it's soft without being powdery or too sutble. good work Labbies!

Enlightenment of the Courtesan Jigokudayu In the Bottle: sugary sweetness! On my Skin, Wet: Sugary Juicy Pears - plus something akin to Wisteria...I don't think Wisteria is a note in this! On my Skin, Dry: Sweet Pears & Soft florals; gentle whiffs of carnation Verdict: A soft, lovely spring scent. It does make my nose itch just a little bit ETA: This is a definite scent locket blend! I think my skin amps something that makes my nose itch, haha!

BIWA In the Bottle: Definitely gives an orange impression On my Skin, Wet: TANGERINE! Very pungent & juicy tangerine! On my Skin, Dry: Tangerine, honey & the whiff of marigolds. the tangerine has calmed down, but is nicely tempered by the honey & marigold. Verdict: This is a great citrus blend! I'm glad that there is honey in this blend or the tangerine might have been too overpowering. This smells like a spring garden where the gardener wanted only to have orange flowers and citrus trees - there is a honeybee hive nearby, and I can smell the sweetness of the honey they are making. very evocative of spring!

In the Bottle: Red Florals On my Skin, Wet: A brief burst of peach, then it dries to a recognizable magnolia note. On my Skin, Dry: The magnolia fades, then it just becomes a generic floral blend. Verdict: I was hoping for a predominently peach scent. The florals are not overpowering, but not what I was looking for from this blend.

In the Bottle: Coconut & Anise - strange but pleasant combo. On my Skin, Wet: Suntan lotion coconut.... (ETA 4.14.2011 - suntan lotion phase is mostly gone, now it's the same as the 'in the bottle' phase) then a strong anise emerges....and lingers between suntan lotion coconut & a strong anise. On my Skin, Dry: Soft, toasted coconut and a whiff of anise. I get a very mild buttery note too, maybe the hazelnut? Verdict: I expected to love this one, but I don't. It's unusual, and I do like the toasted coconut that I get, but the wet anise stage borders on being too much for a while. I'll let this one sit for a few days and revisit....maybe I'll get a different result after the scent has 'settled'

Shunga TEA smells like a cross between a green & black tea to me, but the part that I love is the sweet honey with a touch of lemon to it! Tea lovers, you should not pass up Shunga's TEA. (I am buying multiples )

This is a honeyed lemon sugar tea on me - absolutely gorgeous & backup bottle worthy!

Bon Vivant not sure if I've ever reviewed this one before - if this is a double, my apologies! In the Frimp: Sharp Fizziness with a sweet sugary undertone On my Skin, Wet: Sharp clear musk - no fizz, no sugar On my Skin, Dry: Clear musk with a touch of sweet red fruit. It does not smell like strawberries to me, just a sort of generic red candy. Verdict: While it's not a morpher, it's quite interesting as it dries down and settles on the skin. it does have a festive feel to it but there's no occassion associated with it. I like the fact that it's a mellow, little-throw musk with some sweetness. if I smelled this at random, I would never think 'champagne' - maybe soda water with a drizzle of red fruity flavor. not for me, but the frimp will get used up when I want a subtle musk.

Congratulations! I don't know what your tastes are, but I don't think wedding days can go wrong with a clean / woodsy scent. (seductive scents are for later that night ) I debated wearing Szepasszony, Tempest, The Dormouse, The Raven, Peony Moon, Titania, and Snow Moon for the ceremony & reception. Ended up wearing Peony Moon & now everytime I wear it, the wedding day seems like it just happened Hope that helps a little bit - and you could always just wear what feels right that day, too

Stormclouds Over The Midway I really thought I had reviewed this one already! In the Bottle: Purple smoke & an underlying clean note. On my Skin, Wet: The smoke amps and becomes more like incense, I get the slight plum note here. Ozone makes a subtle appearance but fades quickly in this stage. I get some woody lemon too. On my Skin, Dry: Plumy incense and lemon woods Verdict: not my usual fare, but this is really smooth & I love plum & wood notes...the lemon actuallly enhances the woods for me here. very nice blend, and conveys the spooky image well too

Red Lace In the Bottle: Deep, smoldering scent - I detect red musk & some little bits of vanilla On my Skin, Wet: RED MUSK, some sweet vanilla & a bright, cheerful patchouli On my Skin, Dry: Red musk, vanilla that has dried out & is no longer sweet. The patchouli has faded somewhat and turned a little dirty & moody. I can pick out a very small amount of the cotton note. it's adding a soft element to this scent. Verdict: a very nice Valentine scent indeed! I think this will age wonderfully, but I am on the fence about getting a backup (the dirty patchouli is my one concern) Perhaps letting it sit a few weeks will be helpful in making that decision

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010 In the Bottle: stale mint - yep. on my Skin, Wet: STALE MINT! AMPED! this stage is pretty gross IMO, but there seem to be hints of something else under the icky mint. which is a weird surprise, BTW. On my Skin, Dry: mint has fallen by the wayside. I now get the leather & woods & pipe smoke. not familiar enough with BPAL's linen note to ID it here. Verdict: I really dislike the wet phase - stale mint = gross BUT the dry phase is interesting and encapsulates the toymaker very nicely. I finally get leathers that play nice on my skin, so this is a nice, dark version of leather....if I can hold my breath past the stale mint part. interesting morphology!

LOL - this truly smells like gingerbread out of the oven! smooth lather, gently scented skin after use. very nice soap - I can see why people like the BPAL version of this scent so much!

It does smell like cookies! I don't get any cranberry, but I do get the two chocolates & shortbread. very festive & foody.

The Phoenix in Winter In the Bottle: snow & musk something tart lingering underneath On my Skin, Wet: musky snow and tart dark red cherries On my Skin, Dry: ditto from wet phase Verdict: pretty! a little heavy on the surprise musk, but I love the snow & cherry combo! Happy Anniversary BPAL!

The Soldier In the Bottle: lots of red musk and something sweet in the background On my Skin, Wet: Pie (some kind of buttery sweetness, no nuts or discernable fruit/veggie) a faint hint of leather & LOTS of red musk On my Skin, Dry: still lots of red musk, and honestly, I can't tell the difference between The Soldier & Mme. Moriarty from Carnaval Diabolique at all. Verdict: interesting wet phase, but dissappointed that the dry down is so similar to another BPAL out there. ETA(3.29.2011) OK, this is nothing like the previous review now. I get the black pepper note, no pie crust, and a heck of a lot more leather now. This is what I imagined Spanked would smell like! this is now it's own blend and not a Mme. Moriarty dupe anymore! Yay!

Woods in Winter In the Bottle: Cedar and some kind of lemon note. also eminates 'cold' impression. On my Skin, Wet: yep - there's definitely some Cedar in this, according to my nose. Still getting a lemon note, with a slight waxy quality to it somehow. I'm liking the cold impression - like frozen pine needles or something green that has been encased in ice. On my Skin, Dry: lemon note dissipates somewhat - much less of that waxy quality too. still cold, encased greenery with a nice balance of Cedar and Evergreen notes. some snowy notes are trying to make an appearance, but they're definitely in the background. Probably won't overcome the trees though. Verdict: I love the Lab's imagery of this scent from the description. I was taken by surprise by the lemon/waxy note. Luckily those notes aren't the dominant notes and don't last very long. The encased greenery is beautiful, and does a great job of capturing the feeling of iced over trees. Beautiful - and a more masculine version of Archangel Winter, IMO.