VetchVesper

First off -- I love this. Second -- am I the only person who smells bananas?? O_O I swear, every time I sniff this I get creamy, marshmallowy banana candy, backed by soft balsam. It's delicious and utterly weird and, yeah, very much like banana scented Antique Lace... except no one else has mentioned it, so I must be... bananas.

I SO want to like this one. All the notes, separately, are win for me, and the artwork always makes me giggle. Also, pink champaca sounds amazing. I held off a year to review it, b/c I figured most of these notes would get better with age. But it's still very "musty-fusty" on me coming out the gate. Very incensey. The jasmine is the most prominent floral on me, though it's still just flavoring the incense. This smells like those cones of Indian incense you can buy scented with different florals -- the one's that are so strong, I can't burn through the whole cone without starting to feel suffocated. ? 5 mins later, it's starting to settle down a bit and suffocation doesn't seem quite so immanent. So... more promising. Ah, there we go. 15 mins in and the incense is softer; the florals have stepped in to balance things out. It's pretty now - less harsh - and getting prettier by the minute. Still, very much an incense blend but now, fancy, high-dollar incense. I do like this enough to keep my partial, but it's not an everyday scent, and "coy" doesn't speak much to this mermaid's interactions with me: subtly isn't her thing. I like the jasmine here, but I can see how some folks might be getting something "funky" from it. I'm not getting cat pee, but I do get a "suggestive" indolic quality from it. Hardcore incense lovers should check this one out and I think people who like Little Wooden Doll might really like this. Coy Mermaid has a similar feel with the rose sandalwood - much more sandalwood than rose. I don't get any vanilla cream. P.S. I actually had something similar to @Little Bird's seaweed experience at first, but my thought was "wilted spinach." Luckily, the note went away quickly.

@edickerson88 Just popping by to say there are bottles of the Old Robber Woman up on Etsy and it might be the kind of thing you're looking for. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1118270118/the-old-robber-woman-5ml-black-phoenix?ref=shop_home_recs_7&crt=1 More of a soft, brown leather than Iago, but with a really interesting "oil" smell. Always thought it was an interesting scent, but it didn't get much love - probably because not a lot of women would wear it, though they might enjoy smelling it. More of an intriguing jeans and t-shirt smell than hot stud on a date, IMO.

This one is all fuzzy caterpillar on me - no wings. ? The amber is so fuzzy it's almost scratchy, and the effervesce is on the verge of cleaning supply territory. The citrus is very bold but a little more woody than a sweet bright orange. This reminds me of last year's Rising Sun, which also was, sadly, a miss. Overall, I can smell potential, but it's like the butterfly just can't quite come out of its chrysalis for me. However, a friend of mine tried it, and there's a lighter, brighter quality on her, more like neroli often has. It smells light and golden and delicate, and she declared it positively did smell like a butterfly.

I'd also consider The Rat Speakers if you're wanting particularly earthy, comforting patchouli versus sexy patchouli. It doesn't get nearly enough love but it's all about dirt, Patchouli, and leather. Greed and Goblin are great too.

I wanted this to work on me and assumed it would, since I get along well with both listed notes. Unfortunately, the tobacco in this (Folks are saying French, so I'll take y'all's word for it.) is very prominent on me and smells very masculine. I also get a harsh alcohol smell I've noticed in other recent BPAL's that has been mucking up other blends I thought I'd like. Now I'm wondering if one of the sandalwoods the lab has been using is the culprit. Overall, I get a very nice, but very male, cologne smell that belongs in an upscale department store. Spicy, dry tobacco and smooth sandalwood. I'm sure this will age well, but it isn't something I'd wear. Off to the the swaps.

This is so pretty. I liked it when I first smelled it but kind of forgot about it. It's been waiting in a dark cabinet to be rediscovered. BPAL doesn't have tons of blueberry scents, and so often they seem to be foodie; it's nice to have a floral blend. The blueberry note is very present, but the other notes make a lovely, sweet, fresh flower backdrop. Magnolia always smells a little lemony to me, so this somehow manages to smell like a floral version of blueberry lemon cake. Again -- not foody - but it's still bringing me that vibe. It doesn't stay for daaays like some of the HG's do, but my hair still smells lightly of sweet blueberry musk 8 hours later. Overall, a beautiful, balanced fragrance that's perfect for late spring/early summer. (Or maybe just summer for all those living where it doesn't get up to 100 degrees. >_<)

Honestly, although I love sandalwood, Little Wooden Doll doesn't do it for me either. It gets a lot of love from others, but it smells a bit fusty to me. There are different kinds of sandalwood, so keep that in mind when looking. Red sandalwood smells lustier (and sometimes mustier) to me, white's a little more antiseptic, and I don't particularly care for Australian sandalwood. The GC sandalwoods I've really loved were Paramatman, Half Elf, and White Rider. Those three really showcase the note, and I dig it. Anne Bonney showcases red sandalwood, but smells a bit musty to me. Rakshasa worked better for me than Little Wooden Doll. Oh, and recently I tried Tiefling Therapist and fell head over heels. The sandalwood's pretty balanced with the other notes, but I'm gonna need a bottle.

Wow, this one deserves more love. It's fairly light and unobtrusive, but very complex. It makes me think of cool mountain air, sun warmed dust, and wafting gun smoke. Very dry, powdery (but not baby powdery), with a decidedly smoky edge that grows stronger and grittier on me with wear. The leather is brown and well worn; the cinnamon is well behaved; the sage gives this a freshness. It's really a very smooth, comforting, and gender neutral scent that makes me think of someone who don't brook no shit.

This has really grown on me. I think it's the 2008 version (stripey label) but it came straight from the lab and was only recently opened. It's this very fresh, crystalline, herbal smell, with almost a medicinal bite at first. But it calms down quickly to this very cool but comforting skin scent. There is a hint of airy floral, but this smells more like the sweetness from bread than what I normally think of as "flowers." More... Flours. ?? Maybe the flax is giving it that impression? No idea -- but cold mountain air with some late autumn flowers and a little homey cottage is my take. The pine isn't actually super strong for me.

@hhelix Lol. Just saw you rec'ed Philopannyx to someone already. At least I know I'm in the right ball park. ? I don't necessarily mind companies marketing to male or female as long as people are comfortable switching it up if they don't feel traditional oh, but it would be interesting to see one of the big companies market more towards traits rather than gender - like Beautiful, Powerful, Chic, etc.... And you could have ironic blends like "Socially Awkward" or "Booty Call."

@hhelix We have overlapping taste. I don't know if you're up for more "masculine" fragrances, but I flip'n love Satyr, and Black Rider is also gorgeous. Hunter is just a really seamless blend of supple leather and clove. Crowley is also great if you like SO. If you like frankincense, Veritas is nice. So is Faust. The Lion and Scholar's Tower are beautiful ambers. Brisingmen is amber and apple blossom. Bast from the American Gods line is glorious after it's aged a bit. Melisande, the Puppet Mistress is beautiful if you love violet and want something unusual. (I've found nothing else like Sybaris; it's so unique!) You might also enjoy Eshe, A Vision of Life After Death; it's very floral but has a dry, resinous base. King Cobra is glorious if you like copal and orris has that powdery edge violet often does. The Santa Muerta Tarot scent is also a gorgeous copal and dry floral combo. Inez, Harper, and Aeronwen seem like they'd be in your wheelhouse. Beauty the Aggrieved, Black Forest, Rakshasa, Paramatman (I adore the sandalwood in this one), White Rider, Sin, Anne Bonny (never worked for me, but she gets a lot of love -- lots of red sandalwood.) aaaand Vixen. I blind bottled Philopannyx and was really pleased. It's got a very purple fruits/floral Poison sort of vibe over a really gorgeous, powdery incense. Triple Crown and The Grey Columns (since the Tarots are coming doen soon.) ALSO, I was looking at Etsy, because I love to tempt and torture myself, and I wonder if you might be interested in Not Such an Agreeable Seat, which they have up. (Golden rose oudh and saffron swirling over opalescent orris root and a twinkle of translucent petals). That seems like a long enough list, eh? ?

@wordortwo Have you tried Marie? It's a perfumy refined blend of rose and violet in the GC's, and it's very nice. You might also like Harlot, which is rose with cinnamon, and Hope and Faith our lovely because you can wear them separately or together; they are sugared Violet and sugared Rose respectively. I'll second Little Wooden Doll as a dry rose. You might also like earth and dirt notes: they often smell dry to me, as do Ceylon cinnamon, sandalwood, and certain ambers. (The Lion is a nice one.) Penny Dreadful, Zombie, and Destroying Angel are all dry "dirty" scents but very different. I'd also suggest Satyr if you're ok with more masculine blends and looking for something smexy, and Danse of Death. ? @kaileycatface You're name's super cute! Strawberry Moon, Pink Moon, Two Frames and Rope Pulley come to mind. GC's Dana O'Shee, Dragon's Milk, Hollywood Babylon. If you like rose, Blood Rose, Hope, and Two Five and Seven are sweet and youthful. Have you tried anything with red currents? Eat Me might be right up you alley. You might also like white chocolate and lotus. Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat is way off your listed notes, but it's a sweet, fruity, cute scent. Titania, Fae, Mouse's Long Sad Tale, and Dormouse are florals that are sweet and feminine if you wanted to dip your toe into something different, and Poems in a Corset is decidedly feminine and hard to dislike. Watch out for Poor Monkey in the Yules.

I frick'n love Satyr. So many reviews list it as a masculine sent, but I would say has a stereotypically masculine energy about it rather than it smells like a department store men's cologne. It's assertive, confident, and unapologetically sexual. It's also musky, woody, spicy, dry, and has little to no sweetness. That said, I've never had anyone tell me I smell like a man wearing it. ? I get a stronger, more in-your-face, Snake Oil vibe, which is great: SO, by itself, is a little tame for my tastes unless it's been aged to the point of treacly thickness. Civet is a note that positively purrs for me, and I haven't found a GC scent containing it I didn't like. Even the infamous Yule Cat becomes a cuddly kitten for me, within an hour. I agree this has red musk, or quite possibly blood musk (red musk's more aggressive cousin), in it providing the hint of sweetness. I'm highly dubious of Satyr containing cinnamon; I amp that note like a mofo, and I think, if it was in here, I'd detect it. I do get dry spice, but not cinnamon. (Clove, maybe?) That said, it could possibly be Ceylon cinnamon being bullied by the other notes into behaving itself very well. At any rate, I adore wearing this one when I want to smell powerful and sexy, and yes, it would be to die for on a man. If you are a fan of Bloodlust, Crimson, Aperotos Eros, Czernobog, Snake Smut, or want SO without vanilla, check this one out. Or check those out if you like this one. I'm going to go romp around in the woods and find someone to ravish now.

? Happy hunting.

So, the issue is, your personal chemistry can bring out certain notes in the perfume, making some fragrances seem more masculine or feminine on you personally, regardless if you're actually a man or woman. Case in point: Le Père Fouettard (Whip leather, coal dust, gaufrette, and black licorice) smells like all kinds of hot man on me because my chemistry brings out the leather and coal dust. When I put it on my husband though, gaufrette is the strongest note; he smells like cookies. Also, as a chick, I LOVE wearing Satyr. Though a lot of people think of it as masculine, it's not on me. So you will have to play around somewhat - find out what smells masculine on you. You can look for notes that tend to show up more in men's fragrances - cedar, bay leaf, tomato leaf leather, dark patchouli, khus, vetiver, bay rum, fougere, etc... as a general guide. Since you love Baron Samedi, keep an eye out for Bay Rum. (It's woodier smelling and less sweet than plain ol' rum.) And if a bunch of reviewers say things smell masculine, but on you they're girly, take stock of the notes and see if there's a pattern. Something might go especially sweet on your skin. On me, Iago is HARSH militant leather and VERY masculine - this coming from a girl who likes leather and will wear "masculine" scents. Anywho - general catalog recs for things that smell MANLY to me: Black Rider, Red Rider, White Rider, Jolly Roger, Isaac the Living Skeleton, Marquis de Carabas, Mr. Croup, Mr. Vandemar, Lear, Anthony, Troll, Ligur, Cyborg, Iago, Whiff-Lash (this smells like boy in a bottle to me.) Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, Cthulu, Orc, Dwarf, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Dracul, Incubus, Prince Lir, Odin, Yggdrasil, Calico Jack, Dee, Czernobog, Antikytherian Mechanism, Galvonic Goggles, Robotic Scarab, Godfather Death, Hellfire, Black Tower, El Dorado, any of the Four Horsemen. I'll also rec the Pile of Skulls (Halloweenie) and Psychodynamic Discharge (Yule). ? Lastly, there's a men's fragrances thread in the recommendations section you could check out. Hope that narrows it down a little.

This smells sort of somewhere between mead and spiced, red wine, which is quite pleasant. Unfortunately, there's an undertone that's not working on me. It's sort of weirdly woody, like pencil shavings. Perhaps the myrrh is causing trouble in this particular combo? Ah well -- not for me.

You need to be 21 to drink this root beer float. It's got quite the punch of sarsaparilla, but a creamy sweetness, and a bit of something that almost reads as woody tobacco to my nose, adds complexity. Dooting Skull is a foodie that could work well on guys, but I'm happy to have a bottle in my collection. If you're a fan of Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener or Tombstone, try to get a whiff of this one.

This is in your face, dark, thick, leathery red musk, made earthy by the patch and ginger. There's a trickle of sweetness from the musk and maybe from the rose (though this never smells "rosey") Things start to calm down after 10 mins or so, and the ginger becomes more fiery, mingling with the pepper. Still lots of leather and red musk, though even less sweet. Coconut is never apparent to my nose and is hard to find even while looking. This is a good, spicey red musk. It leans a lttile more masculine than most and reminds me of some of the "fiery" "bloody" blends. Not for the feint of heart, but quite yummy. ? ETA: 2017 version, and this one does heat up on more sensitive skin/areas.

So, it seems like we have similar tastes. I wonder if you've tried Velvet, Tezcatlipoca, Blood Kiss, Bard and Scheherazade. Those would be GC's I'd recommend. You might try Shub-Niggurath as well, since you like spice, if you don't mind something that smells a little foody. The Candy Butcher is a dark chocolate and honey smell in Carnival Diabolique. Red Lantern is also a classic Luper that would probably be up your ally. As might Smut and Bright Red Dildo. You might enjoy Psychodynamic Discharge as well, but it is not for the feint of heart. Cognac-Stained Sheet Ghost is much sweeter than I would have guessed from the notes and has been compared to Zorya P.. The Air and Ether from the Yules isn't sugary, but it's a beautiful, smooth amber and lavender. And have you tried Lyonesse? I's got a really nice mix of vanilla, ambergris, and grey amber. It's one of the few GC aquatics I really love. Have you read reviews of the Sugar Cookie Yules? Since you like vanilla and sugar, there might be some tasties in there for you. Hmmm... what stands out to me in Arcana is the frankincense. I wonder if you might like Anthony. It leans a little masculine to my nose, but it's very nice, and I enjoy wearing some of the more "masculine" fragrances. Titus Andronicus might be another you'd enjoy (Since you wanted ancient world. You'll have to provide your own lesbian though. ? ) The Apothecary is a very lovely, mossy herbal. Have you tried Zombie? Not one of my favorites, but it's a popular earth and roses scent. Bruised Violet Compound is sort of an earthy, enchanted forest smell for me, and the red currants give it a berry scent which I also get from Druid. Lyonesse is one of the few GC scents with grey amber in it, and it's noticeable in the fragrance, so you might keep an eye out for that. The Grey Columns features the note and is lovely. You might also enjoy Cognac-Stained Sheet Ghost. I wonder if you'd like Odic Force if you enjoy lemon verbena. It's got a fresh, citrus quality, but the white musk and amber make it sort of fuzzy. Crystal Gazers also seems to share some notes with your preferred scents, but I have not smelled it. You might also like Auriga - either of them, though you'd have to keep an eye out on the sales and swaps forums.

I received a frottle of this from the lab, so I'm assuming is aged under the best conditions. It's unusual and interesting— the kind of fragrance you can tell would really appeal to certain people, even if that's not me. I get lots of opoponax and myrrh (2 resins I'm ambivalent on), followed by a dark fig. The fig is subtle and becomes obvious only when I sniff my skin directly. (Fig is a fruit I'm ambivalent on.) I never would have guessed green tea was in this (I'm used to teas being lighter/brighter scents), but upon contemplation, I might be able to see where it's in here. The carnation just adds some spiciness and blends with the fig, not really noticeable unto itself. The sum of the parts is a smokey, resinous fragrance with a dark, fruity undertone that reminds me a bit a stewed plums. I think you probably have to appreciate the resins to love this one, because that's what's on display here, at least with my chemistry. Amusingly, I was wearing this when I wash my hands with some fruity smelling Christmas soap, and that combination was lovely. "Pure Wonder," for any Bath & Body Works fans.

Anyone else getting a Lucille Sharpe vibe from this? Not the same, but for me, it scratches the same itch. I think it's the gothy roses, perfumey floral quality, mixing with the resins. Lucille Sharpe if she lived in the 80's and was really into The Cure. More in your face and heavier on the incense---and on the eyeliner. I dig it. Nicely blended. A little scratchy, from the resins, and powdery from the violet and black musk. I really like the way the champaca is mixing with the roses. It's sort of plush velvet and soapy hippy (but in the best way?). Very interesting and not something I've smelled before. Can't wait to see how my bottle settles in.

Fuzzy, soft evergreen, mixing with bright, fruity rose and fig. The ginger is subtle, but adds an earthy huskiness to the red patchouli. The red patch and ginger become more prominent as the evergreen and the pop of fig and rose die back. This becomes dry, heat-blasted almost, the calms back down to a husky red patch fragrance with a touch of soft rose and evergreen. This is very well blended, but overall, it's more patch-centric vs. a rose, cypress, or fig fragrance. ETA - My imp is probably around 5 years old oh, so it makes sense the evergreen would have softened and the patchouli gotten richer.

This smells like a clean house. For all those people who complain about citrus smelling like cleaning supplies, well, here I think that's the point. This isn't something I would wear, but it's bright and fresh, and would work wonderfully added to an oil burner, or (for those of you crafty at adding oils to other products), in cleaning supplies or laundry. I don't know about its ritual uses. But I've been trying to get in the house cleaning mood so I'm wearing it today, with middling results. Very upscale cleaning supply smell.

Woah! That is some black pepper! The note is strong, and it's doing a good job of balancing the sharp woodiness of the vetiver. After 15 minutes or so, the pepper is mostly gone, leaving a warm, slightly acrid, vetiver. I actually liked it with the pepper more, but if vetiver doesn't go bitter on you, you'll probably like this.