VetchVesper

This smells dark and sticky and black musky to me, even though I see it's not listed in the notes. It has the feel of a high end, old-fashioned men's cologne. Not grandpa, but like something you'd smell in an antique bottle. It's aggressive but still chic. I very much get one unique blend, rather than different notes working together. I don't love this, but I wouldn't mind smelling this on my man.

So imagine all these elements mixed with a dry club soda. That's the effect the aldehydes have to my nose. They make this blend cool and effervescent. The coffee bean, nutmeg, and clove add a foody tinge, and I agree that this smells drinkable at first. It made me think of those chocolate Jones sodas, if anyone is familiar. The incense notes balance out and then usurp any foodiness on me later, and this becomes more akin to Cafe Millet et une Nuits with more head shop and less spice cabinet. I really like it, and if you want coffee without all the buttercream and what not, this is worth checking out. Between this and Abolish ICE, the activism blends are taking care of my coffee needs. ETA - Says the person who just started a decanting circle of all coffee scents...

Based on the notes, I would never have picked this one up, so I'm glad I got a chance to try it at a meet n' sniff. It's weird, and super morphy. In my first encounter it was minty minty sweet vanilla mintiness, then lemongrass, which decided to behave itself and was lovely. Today it's blasting me with tangerine and blueberry, then smells oddly medicinal, and then the peppermint and lemongrass once more emerge. This time, however, the lemongrass is going sour/swampy, as it is want to do on my skin. Sigh. 🙄 I guess it's fitting that one never knows what to expect from dragon barf. To me, this is a whimsical aromatherapy blend more than a perfume. I would wear this around the house when I want to focus or feel happy, not when I'm wanting to smell pretty or sexy. But focusing and feeling happy are great, and I don't have a lot of blends that serve that purpose, so I'm happy to have this one. Hopefully, the lemongrass will behave itself for me more often than not.

This opens like a lot of BPAL's recent foresty blends - soft, dry forest floor, pine needles and loam. But a thread of something noxious lurks in the background and grows stronger on my skin. It does smell poisonous and is reminding me a little bit of Ajax cleaner. I don't mean that in a bad way - just there's something sort of chemical and astringent going on that tickles my nose. This blends with the forest notes until it stops being forest floor and becomes green, cold, and chemical. This smells like the air on an alien planet to me. An inhospitable one. Interesting, but not something I would want to wear - or breath - on a regular basis.

I'm surprised I haven't written a review for this one. It's a favorite. In the bottle, it smells a bit like Crimson, which, of course, wasn't out yet when this was made. There's a thick, rich red musk backed by clove-ish carnation. People have complained about the vetiver. I LIKE vetiver, but it can be harsh or acrid on me sometimes. This one is present, but behaves itself, playing the role of a dark backdrop to the other notes. The amber becomes prominent in dry down, mixing with the carnation so that it smells rich, and glowing, like the light from dying embers. The fragrance is dark, dry, spicy, rich fragrance. Not so sexy as opulent. It could work for either sex, though I think it leans feminine. It befits its painting well, is definitely a cold weather blend, and is probably for special occasions. This is a "going to the opera" sort of fragrance. Satan Starting at the Touch of Ithuriel's Spear is not for the faint of heart, but if you, like I, are a lover of lusty, rich red musk blends like Crimson, Bloodlust, and Callidora, this is worth finding. Those who love ambers like The Lion or Jacob's Ladder might also want to give this a whirl.

I am not super familiar with moonflower, though there are several perfumes I really like that list it as a note, so I was curious. I like orris, but I was a little worried this might be very powdery. I don't find that to be so, and moonflower seems to smell a bit like lily of the valley on me, if the lily of the valley was behaving really well. Lily of the valley usually goes soapy, and moonflower doesn't apparently. The fragrance is very floral and a little prim, a little perfumey, but its' nice. I feel like this is pale lavender florals rather than white florals. I see a pretty woman in a lavender cashmere sweater when I smell this. It has a fair bit of throw on me.

This is very pretty. I get more tuberose than mango, but the fruit is there making this even more lush and tropical. It's got the feel of fruit when it's so ripe and sweet, it's almost off. I don't mean that in a bad way . It's NOT rotten smelling, just like - that last minute ripeness. This is light weight and will be beautiful for summer when I want something simple but a little unusual. Glad I took a chance on it.

Much drier and woodier than I was expecting. It's very autumnal and dark to my nose, and I've been told it smells nice on me, but it's just not to my fancy. I think the maple leaf is most prominent on my skin and it's in the same family as "dead leaves" but darker and woodier, without that aquatic note or spice dead leaves blends sometimes have. The patch, again, is the kind that's more woody, less earthy. I do smell the blackberries, but there is no hint of sweetness, nor is there any in the bourbon. It does smell unusual, and I think would work well for a guy or a girl, but it's not to my tastes. Swaps!

Perfumey, fruity, luscious, sexy, and red. That's how this smells in the bottle and when I first put it on. Sadly, something in here goes off on me within a few minutes. I've seen people mention band aids on other fragrance reviews, and that's sort of what I'm getting. Something weird, like old rubber eraser, quickly becomes the most prominent note. I have no idea what it is, and it makes me sad b/c otherwise, I think this is beautiful. 😢 A well. Off to the swap mobile!

I have not smelled the original Black Lace, but I have a tester of Black Lace Resurrected, so I'm comparing this to that. They are pretty similar, though BLR seems more pungent, while Dark Lace seems a bit softer and less in your face. Perhaps DL will strengthen with age, but I actually like things toned down a bit. They both have almost an aquatic vibe on my skin which I suspect may come from the linen note mixing with the cognac. I haven't had that issue with other laces, but in these two, it's present. It's not soapy aquatic, more men's cologne. DL does have a dusty earth smell that presents itself when I first put it on, and in that respect, reminds me a bit of Lycan Lace. I get plenty of vanilla lace note up front, and this reminds me quite a bit of Antique Lace (2017v), just with the cologne vibe and dusty earth adding complexity. I like it, but I want to see how it settles and ages. Right now it's nice, but I have other lace scents I like much better. But then, Black Lace Res. didn't knock my socks off either. If you loved that, you'll probably love this too. ETA: As an aside, that "mummy bitumen" note makes me totes want a Mummy Lace, to go with the Vampires, Lycans, and Witches. But then, maybe that's covered by Mummies of Mexico City. Either way, I always look forward to new laces.

So uh... Non Compliant is quite compliant with my chemistry, which was a pleasant surprise. I tested this one without reading the notes, but I was aware that one of the Bitch Planet scents had "bile" listed, and from the initial smell, I suspected it was this one. I think it's the sharpness of the vetiver mixing with the bite of the lime and the sweetness of the honey/rum. Before the notes start settling, there's this acrid sweet tangy thing that is... uh... evocative. BUT, it starts settling down on me within seconds. It becomes earthy, musky honeyed patchouli, with sweet threads of lime wafting in and out, like honey with lemon, but lime instead. Very well blended, but I'm pretty sure I can pick out all the notes if I really go looking. Its rather nice and different from other patch blends I have. It's also fairly gentle, which again, a pleasant surprise. So... if these notes generally work on you, don't let the "bile" scare you. I'm glad I happened upon this one and swapped for a bottle.

From the notes, this is not something I ever would have ordered, so thank you torikitty, for the chance to try it. I actually really like this. The strongest note I'm getting is the ice rimmed steel, which is a blend of ozone and the chrome note from Torture Queen. Generally, snow notes aren't my thing, but this is different and works well. No vanilla, coconut or mint, just cold, clean, and sharp. The red licorice and strawberries just add a hint of sweetness in the background. I don't really pick up on the tobacco, but I think I'm getting a hint of the blood grounding things, and a smidge of red musk after it's been on a while. It's very chilly and light on my skin and pretty much stays the same through dry down, but it doesn't last very long. Within an hour, this snowman has melted away. 😕

I get sort of a warm musk at first and something that reminds me very slightly of The Brown Cat, so I wonder if maybe it's a brown musk?. Hard to define. I don't get any citrus/lime notes. I don't get blood. I do get some sort of ticklish spice though, which I'm guessing is pepper. As it dries down, a powdery astringency emerges, so I can kind of see the AJAX/Comet vibe that someone mention. It's not unpleasant though. It's like a clean, austere skin musk with a hint of sweetness. Like someone friendly who washes their hands a LOT and is fastidiously clean, but not soapy. Not familiar with the character, but that's what I get.

I just pulled this puppy from the mail, so I will update later if it ends up shifting greatly after it settles, but what I get right off is Patchouli with a capital "P" and a bit of leather, which is always understated on me. I get no pumpkin spice, which usually amps, and I get no hint of pumpkin. I have been looking for a dark pumpkin scent that would work for me, and this does indeed work - but maybe that's b/c I can't smell the pumpkin? 🎃 It gets very dusty, black musky on my skin after a few minutes, which I could take or leave, but then... THEN it becomes copal. Lovely, glorious copal, which I adore, and which is an unexpected surprise. The copal begins to temper itself back in with the other notes, and now I do get a vague impression of books, though that might be b/c I know I'm supposed to. I never smelled the original Lurid Library, but this is very nice. I would definitely recommend it to copal and patch lovers, and can allay the fears of anyone dreading being pumpkin spiced to death. I do wish I could smell even a hint of pumpkin, but perhaps this will come out in the last wisps of dry down or as the bottle ages and the patchouli has time to settle.

Ah. This is lovely and just what I was hoping for. It reminds me in some ways of Lich's Laboratory, but while the moss in that gave a damp, aquatic impression that did not agree with my tastes, this is very dry and soft. Soft loam and dry, dusty incenses. It smells positively desiccated yet somehow elegant and arcane. It also reminds me of some of the mushroom blends, with it's pale, not quite woody spice. Very glad to have this, and I will be spray it everywhere when I want to feel like I am in a well furnished and NOT dank vampire crypt.

Not sure what year this is. My guess - 2015. This is spicy, woody dead leaves on my skin, maybe a touch of ozone - giving it a cool and cologney vibe. There's also something I recognize from the Samhain fragrance. I'm thinking either the mullein or the "damp woods" note, since I'm not familiar with those. It starts to get a titch powdery on me as it wears. It's pleasant, and would smell nice on a man or a woman. It makes me think of snuggly sweaters, blue jeans, and leather boots crunching in dead leaves, so - October appropriate. It's not, however, something I need more than a decant of, but then, I'm not a huge fan of "dead leaves" scents in general. If you are, this is a classic.

I get the fruitiness too, which surprised me. I guess it is from the olive? But the beeswax just makes the whole thing glow for me.

Deep red musk and spicy carnation stand out the most, though there is a backing of woody patch at the base of the fragrance. On linens, the sandalwood becomes more apparent, with its dry, dust quality. This smells plush, sumptuous, and textured, like deep velvet - red of course. I don't notice the urfa pepper specifically, but this does have a nose tingly quality. My brain just chalks that up to the carnation though. Really beautiful and a good bet for those who love red musk. An ATMO equivalent to CP's Crimson.

Frack. I don't even know. Woody spices. Cinnamon, I think - maybe. Something cool and vaguely cologney that I can't put my finger on; the metal, I guess. Gender neutral. Hard to pin down. Dry and perfumey and not really doing it for me. Interesting though.

Boozy to high heck. On my skin, I do get a whiff of apple, but mostly it's maple/butterscotchy booze. I keep waffling on my bottle, cause it's a LOT, but I do really like it now and then. Very nice for the holiday season.

Unapologetically hippie head shop, and i'm totally ok with that.

Sugary sweet vanilla coconut. Something about this reminds me a lot of Pa-Pow, though on close comparison, they're pretty different. I think it's the sugary-almond-marshmallow aspect that makes me think of jellybeans and toothache inducing confection. This smells like those floofy, candy-coated marshmallow eggs you get at Easter, and it makes me smile.

Earthy, dry patchouli. Comforting and verging on masculine. Something about it reminds me of Pognophobia, actually. It has sort of an animal warmth. Not much, if any sweetness. ETA -This has really mellowed and smoothed out nicely. Still very patchy, but I'm getting more of the grassiness and hay. This is a dry, golden field though. Very earthy, a bit dirty. I get a smokiness on the back end, like a snuffed out candle.

The chocolate is dry and dark, with the carnation adding a spice, and the sage giving this a dry herbal bite. It could almost be a masculine chocolate. I like it very much. I never get plum though, and myrrh is usually vague to my nose unless it has the starring role.

Ya know... I definitely got the Big Red gum vibe on this one when I first got it, but something else seemed interesting enough to keep it around for a while, and now, two years later, there's a lot more complexity and a lot less in-your-face spice. They're tempered and sweet and there's a coolness to the blend from the elemi. I also get a subtle thread of sweet licorice. I'm not a big "spices" fan, but I'm glad I kept my decant of this one around. Check it out if you want a lightweight spice scent or want spices that won't make you smell like a Christmas candle.