VetchVesper

This was mostly jasmine and oud on me. The jasmine was pleasant, but the oud is being p'oudiferous. That said, sometimes oud is just awful. Here it's just going a little barnyard. Wish I got some elemi or silken musk. The most surprising thing to me about this one is it's short wear length. This stuff's gone on me within 2 hours. From the listed notes, I expected this one to have a long wear time.

Really glad I finally got to try this one! This is a very nice example of herbal anise, if you like the note -- which I do! The anise is a touch powdery and is the most prominent note on me, while the green tea, though present, is the least prominent. Overall, I get a cool, dry scent that's a touch spicy and very reminiscent of a bed of soft green forest moss. Michiyuki and Cacao & Black Moss both have that soothing, fairy-forest vibe, though both fragrances are quite different and worth having. I'm pretty sure Queen Titania had some of this stashed in her bower.

Demure white florals with a hint of musk (the ambrette apparently) and ylang ylang in the bottle. Hooo! On the skin it amps up big time! If you are a fan of ylang ylang, heads up. Here she be. I also get something almost lemony? Ahh. The magnolia blossom. This is pretty, and lush. Floral all the way, in a BIG way. I think I do catch a hint of vanilla, but it's very much binding the florals together rather than asserting itself. The ambrette just gives this a wonderful "live-in" warmth. This has the texture of thick, white petals. No soap, just "I want to roll in" floral. It's shamelessly floral in the way Cascading Blossoms was, though the two smell quite different. Really pretty. I have quite a bit of my partial left from decanting this one, as there wasn't much initial interest in this fragrance. I am QUITE happy about it. Floral lovers, don't miss out.

Really nice in the bottle. Mossy and floral. Complex. It's reminding me slightly of Silenti from the VILF's (Spanish moss, lilac, wisteria, myrrh, and olibanum). Similar vibe, but more exotic and less melancholy. On my skin, it immediately becomes very discordant. Less moss, more incense and something golden and sharp. Now, it's sorting itself out, becoming more of a dark, lush floral. I'm definitely getting that myrrh, which is usually a note that stays in the background on me. There's a weird, dirty-spicy - sharp note coming through that I am not familiar with and I'm not sure I fancy. It kind of reminds me of dry ginger - sort of? Perhaps the japonica? I'm not familiar with the note. Carnation can be spicy, but this isn't usually what it smells like, and I don't really get any recognizable carnation. The weirdness starts calming down after about 5 minutes, and again, I'm getting a mossy, dark floral that still reminds me of Silenti. I kind of like it, but am suspicious of what it will do next. Those who like The Madame might also appreciate this, and supreme_c0rt's reference to Little Wooden Doll also works. The sandalwood has sort of a dusty, Oriental feel. Pleasure Boat isn't a love, but it's interesting enough that I kind of want to keep my partial and see if grows on me and where it goes with aging. Overall, a languid, mossy floral. Dark, plush, and exotic smelling.

In the bottle, Ehon Karanishiki strikes a nice balance between a bright, fresh gardenia, and realistic strawberry. It's quite sweet, but it's a lovely floral sweetness. On my skin, the lilac bursts out, and I get the same note that is in this year's Hotaru No Yu HG. As with the HG, the lilac goes slightly synthetic on me (others didn't seem to have this problem) but is still pleasant. Something is going a little sharp here though, and (I hate to say it) giving me a faint urine vibe when I sniff closely. The fragrance is becoming less gardenia and more of a balance between the notes. I can suss out each of the florals and the strawberry, but none of them dominates. I'm not smelling any vanilla. Happily, the urine has vanished, but the lilac is still giving this a synthetic edge that I don't care for. I liked things much better when they were in the bottle! Also, this reminds me of another Shunga from years ago, A Mirror of Spring Pleasures on Kites (2016 v), but that one was deeper and jammier smelling, whereas Ehon is lighter and more floral. I think this is quite pretty, but my chemistry is spoiling it. Peony is also not a floral I'm particularly fond of. If the florals look good for you, especially the lilac, check this one out. The strawberry is present, and adds to the bouquet, but overall, I say this is spring floral.

Hi @SilverInkAndStardust Welcome to the forum. I'd highly recommend you check out Alice, Knave of Hearts, Twilight, Dragon's Milk, Defutata, and Shoggoth (I know it's got musk and amber in there, but if the other notes sound appealing, I'd still try it. There's a LOT going on in there.) Florals with notes you like are - Two, Five, & Seven (fruity rose), Snooty Rose (powdery plum rose), Blood Rose (sweet rose), London (strait up tea rose), Black Lily (I adore this one), Shanghai (fresh, lemony honeysuckle) New Orleans (lush jasmine-heavy floral), Delight (sweet, sumptuous, rosey floral), Maiden (light, sweet, and a touch spicey), Les Fleurs du Mal (very much a classic floral), Viola (another classic floral with a touch of somber mossiness) and Seraphim (a gently incensey rose floral) Lady of Shallot is also lovely. If you can do aquatics and lily of the valley, you might also try Sea of Glass. If you like violet at all you might try Sybaris. It's almost a foody violet, with a clove spice. It's unusual, and I think, beautiful. You might also enjoy the fruity currant in Anteros. Keep in mind, if you order six imps, the Lab throws two in for free. They're random, but I've found some of my favorites that way. You can also find good prices on 2nd hand decants in the sales thread on this forum. It's a great way to try out a lot without spending a fortune. I'd also say, the Lab uses a variety of different musks, so don't disregard them all quite yet. Some of them might work for you, while others don't. For example, I ADORE red musk, but white musk can go kinda screechy and soapy on me. Anywho, happy sniffing!

Odd. Woody, herbal, a tad soapy at first, but in a very nice way. Clean but spicy. Mossy. Possibly black musk? Sage. These are my guesses without looking at the notes. Looking at the notes - huh. NOT what I would have expected. Oh yeah. Ok. I DO get the sandalwood. The chamomile is probably just adding to the calm herbalness overall. Raisins and caramel - not so much. Which is fine by me. I'm not a foodie fan, so those weren't really the notes I was interested in. With the caramel and tobacco and raisins, I would have expected something chewy smelling, but this is very dry. (Probably that sandalwood.) This is a very nice man scent. Not sexy, but just really calm and warm and rather charming in an understated way. A good scent for the last of the Red Hot Swamis. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ETA: I procured a sample of the original Schmendrick and thought it was worth comparing it to the re-release from 2021, which I reviewed above. The original is very similar, but I like it better. I'm not sure if this a factor of its age or a reformulation. The original has a noticeable hint of brown sweetness in the decant from the raisons, sultanas, and tobacco. This lingers on the skin, at first, but goes away after maybe 10 minutes. The sense of black musk and moss I got from the newer scent is still here, perhaps stronger, as a powdery chypre that is very similar but not as bright as the re-releases, which smells more like a standard men's cologne. The original feels a little more gender neutral to me, though it still leans masculine. I also find this older version more unique with the inclusion of the sweet notes, even if they don't stick around long on me.

This is a bright, dapper lavender. Very fougere. A tad sweet and soapy. Clean, like a nice aftershave. I get a touch of creamy lilac in the dry down, but this one stays nicely androgynous. If this was how a villain smelled, I imagine he would be a very clean-cut one, with his hair pomaded back and a starched, white collar. He'd very likely have a British accent. Not MY type of villain, but a pleasant enough smell. Folks who dig this might also like Wilde, Embalming Fluid, Herbert West, and Jared. I'll stick with the more herbal Envy for my lime and lavender though.

I've been on an opium kick. ? In my perfume at least. Darkness is the most obviously floral, to my nose, of the opium blends. The opium is right out front in the opening, but then falls back, couched by the lush narcissus and sweetened by the myrrh. This smells very sultry, languid, and old world. The indole of narcissus always teeters between sweet floral and decay to me, and here, it smells beautiful, but also a touch creepy. Very fitting for the poem. Darkness makes me think of New Orleans in the movie, Interview with a Vampire. The night air would smell like this in the old French Quarter avenues. Also, if you couldn't do the jasmine in BPAL's New Orleans perfume - try this. The lush humidity of it also reminds me a tad of Bayou, thought the notes are quite different. So again, if you liked the idea of that on, but it just didn't work for you - try this one. Quite lovely.

I'm testing it against Inferno, another cinnamon heavy scent, and the cinnamon in this seems tame by comparison. I'm actually getting something kind of funky smelling. I think it's peach and maybe the patch? It's rather animalic. i'm also getting some nice, mellow clove and some dried orange peel. And yeah -- I do get a touch of incense. The scent is very dry and warm. The cinnamon is present, but doesn't take over. The scent falls somewhere between sangria without the wine and those fancy orange and cinnamon stick potpourris they sell at Christmas. The patchouli and incense save it from going total craft store though. It's actually very pleasant, but not really something I'd wear much. I'd love it as a room spray though.

CINNAMON. Unabashedly, so. If you want to smell like a walking, talking Atomic Fireball - this is it. People upthread are saying "red hots" and yes, that too, but the nasal burn in this is fierce and impressive. The skin reaction is also a bit fearsome. My skin is moderately sensitive to cinnamon, and after 15 minutes of wear, this is causing some tingling on the back of my hand, so be warned. The almond note is what turns this from spice cabinet to CANDY cinnamon. The neroli makes an appearance about 15 minutes into dry down, and just adds a little maturity to the scent. Noses in passing would still probably register it as cinnamon candy. This is not for me, but I'm kinda happy it exists. For cinnamon lovers, this is a must try.

Delicate, clean, a wee bit green, and oddly synthetic: not in a cheap, dime-store way, but in a -- these smell like computer generated flowers -- way. I feel like Mother, from Umbrella Academy would smell like this: feminine, floral, and not quite real. More android than ghost to me, but still quite interesting. My vote is %100 for Oblivion in #tournamentofunderdogs, but it would still be a shame to lose this one.

Very appletastic, though the dark green bitterness of the "hemlock" note comes through, making this a little more sophisticated than your typical "country apple." The bitterness fades in the drydown, and the opium lends a husky depth to the apple. Apple is not something I really go gaga over, but this is an interesting, upscale version of the note. Give it a try if apples are your jam...er...sauce.

Sybaris is intriguing. My initial reaction to the fragrance is - "That's weird," but then I find myself drawn back for second, third, and fourth whiffs, as my brain seeks to make sense of the odd mélange. Vanilla, violet, and clove are all present and accounted for, all balanced, and blend to create something truly unique. Sybaris is almost buttery, yet the incense and coppery tang of clove keep it from being gourmand, and the violet on display adds another layer of intrigue. I've never smelled violet quite. like. this. Overall, there is something decadent and exotic about the blend, though I don't find it sexy. More... esoteric and rich. This smells like the perfume of a wealthy and notorious maven, a decadent influencer, or perhaps a renowned psychic. My one knock against it, is my skin drinks it up, though it still last several hours on me, and I'm still considering a bottle. If you enjoy clove or violet, you owe it to yourself to sample this little oddity. #tournamentofunderdogs

No 93 Engine was one of my first BPAL loves and one of my first bottle buys. It's an unusual fragrance and is hard to categorize. I was not familiar with many of its listed notes at the time I first procured my frimp, but was instantly allured. There is a dark, metallic tang in the scent's opening that is reminiscent of something industrial. It's easy to imagine a drop or two of gear lubricant within this distillation, though I hypothesize this effect has to do with the acrid bite of sage. I also get a distinct impression of sassafras (though it isn't a listed note) that isn't confectionary, but spiced, woody, and dark, like the home hooch brews one might expect to find fermenting in a hillbilly's cellar. Sometimes I catch whiffs of bitter vetiver, and sometimes the blend seems sweet and vanillic (from the benzoin). I never get anything lemony or lemon "balmish". Nor do I get a distinct impression of incense, though several of the listed notes are found in incense. Rather, they produce a grounding warmth and weight to the whole. I am usually ambivalent towards beeswax, but here it's used to lovely effect, adding a soft sweetness and glow that tie the brasher notes together. No 93 Engine is both elegant and avant-garde, delightfully unisex, and still one of my top BPAL favorites. #tournamentofunderdogs

Pretty, tart strawberry! If Rope Pulley was two foody for you, this might be more your speed. It reminds me of strawberry slushies at Sonic, where there's a bit of syrupy sweetness, but there's also the real strawberries at the bottom, ripe and squished. This also smells very refreshing and is very nice for warm weather. I wouldn't call this spicy, but the ti leaf does add something astringent and faintly woody to the background. It makes this a little more grown up that strait up strawberry slush. An herbal, strawberry tea is also a pretty good comparison.

Roses and lilacs over a warm, dark base of amber, sandalwood and rosewood. This reminds me a bit of Ouija, but is heavier on the floral. This seems like a winter floral to me. Check it out if you enjoy lilac.

Moscow is a sumptuous, velvety rose on me. The musk is deep and slightly animaliic, conjuring up images of tzarinas bedecked in opulent furs. I catch hints of jasmine and lily of the valley in the sillage, but this stays predominantly a winter rose blend on me. If you are a fan of Peacock Queen, Elizabeth of Bohemia, or Black Rose, then you'll want to check this out. It's in that wheelhouse but still manages to be different. ETA: Random perfume nerdery. Recently discovered there was a famous Russian perfume known as "Red Moscow" that shares similar notes with this lovely offering. Now I'm curious if the is BPAL's nod to the classic perfume.

I get sort of a salty, sweaty jasmine over creamy, vanilla sweetness. On me, the rose is a background note, though it peeks out a little more in dry down. Poinsettia Gown succeeds in smelling vintage, like a classic perfume with a twist. The amber comes out as musky on me, not like perfume note musk, but like body musk. It's interesting that people are describing it as clean. To my nose, it smells rather dirty. It's taken a while to review this one b/c I wasn't sure how I felt about it when I first got it. I wanted to see how it aged and if it grew on me. I think, for me, Poinsettia Gown's a pass, but I can see why jasmine lovers would really like this. P.S. I get the references to La Prostitution et la Folie Dominent le Monde. I liked that one more though. I'm actually getting tinges of the Sea Foams Milk as well. So like - a cross between the two with a dash of rose, served in a vintage perfume bottle. ?‍♀️

A silvery musk. I think there's probably some citrus in here, maybe bergamot but the overall vibe is the fresh musk. Both Clinique's Happy and Arden's Sunflowers came to mind. Pleasant, but not me. ETA. Yes! Neroli! Someone mentioned it up thread, and I think that's what my nose is latching onto as "citrus."

Thank you to the lovely forumite who frimped me this. Dead leaves can be a tricky note on me. I really like it here. It's prominent, but the other notes give it a warmth that tempers what can sometimes come off as cologney or high pitched. I don't smell nutmeg, but I do smell a golden brown sweetness from the opium and smoke from the tar. Everything blends seamlessly to create something that smells like a spicey, high end perfume. I'm surprise by how lux this smells and how much Iove it. I'll have to keep my eye out for a bottle.

Definitely boozy. A bit like a sweeter Dwarven Ale, and a bit more buttery. I get a good whiff of maple and a tiny touch of cinnamon, along with a hearty beer note. The pumpkin is more present on me at the beginning, but get's overtaken by the maple by the end. This was a frimp from a generous forumite, and I'm delighted to have tried it. I think, overall, it's a bit too foody for me, but if you want a gourmand that aptly captures a rich, dark brew, this is a good one. Perfect for Oktoberfest!

Very, very rosey at first. Syrupy, heady, and perfumey. I think the ylang ylang has a lot do with this. I don't get a white floral vibe from this. Just super heady floral. The geranium note becomes obvious in the dry down, and the fragrance is starting to remind me a little of Deep in Earth, albeit without the earth note and with the florals amped way up. Over all, this is too much for me, though the florals smell very authentic.

Creamy jasmine over a bed of aquatic moss. There's a hint of salt at first; the benzoin adds a touch of darkness, and the musk lingers with the jasmine and moss in the dry down. The orris makes this a touch powdery. This actually reminds me a bit of Crossroads, without the dirt note. Pleasant enough I shall keep my decant. The Carnival Diabolique aquatics are a lot more wearable for me that most other aquatics.

Very pretty! Fresh, bright, fruity floral that is well balanced between the orchid, poppy, and apple. It smells like apple blossom to me. As One Girl dries down, it darkens and the wisteria and incense come out. I'm iffy on wisteria, but here it's nice. It's avoiding soapy or screechy territory. The incense is a bit smoky and adds a lot of depth to the background. Really pretty. I want to see how long it wears, but this might go on my big bottle wishlist. If you are a fan of orchid, definitely check this one out. Apple blossom and wisteria lovers might also appreciate this one, as well as those who like fruity incense. If your main interest is the apple, you might be disappointed.