VetchVesper

Cherry sours greet my nose at first sniff and make me smile.  There's complexity to the candy smell though, spice from the carnation and muskiness that gives the fragrance depth.  The cherry fades quickly and the musk becomes definitively red.  This starts to remind me of Daruma Doll with cherry instead of rose.  I also get the similarities to Kabuki, which I'm a big fan of.  It's super sweet, and super red, and more thick and sticky smelling vs. juicy.  This smells more like it should be Stage Blood to me than SN Stage Blood.  Yummy and lickable.  I want moar.  

Warm, sweet, foody and only the slightest bit goaty.  This smells like s'mores without the milk chocolate.  It's unabashedly foody, but the muskiness of the goat's milk makes it wearable for me, whereas usually, these kind of blends remind me of candles.  The white chocolate is rich and realistic, and I'd say, if you're a fan of that note, this fragrance is well worth hunting down.  I enjoy wearing it to bed when I want something indulgent and snuggly.  

This starts off very discordant with white musk and citrus yuzu being at the forefront.  I get the soap references, but it's more dryer sheets to my nose, not aquatic soap.  It dries down quickly to a misty lilac scent with a bit of darkness in the background.  The yuzu vanishes within minutes.  This is The Unicorn Rushing Against a Tree's kooky cousin.  It's not bad, but mist notes rarely work on me, and I have other lilac scents I like more.  Swaps!

This one is extremely musky on me and the musk clings and won't let go.  I can detect all the mentioned notes, but they're all enfolded and enveloped in the heavy silk note. The effect is very sexy and a little bit dirty, but it can also be a little much for me. Like a rich dessert, this fragrance works best for me when used sparingly and savored. 

Got a sniffie of this in a swap so I"m not sure how the oil has held up over time, but I get sort of a musky berry.  It reminds me a little bit of Druid.  I think I also get a hint of spicy tea.  Something spicy, but very, very subdued and in the background.  Overall, it's pleasant but doesn't wow me.  

Blood Bath is so frick'n good.  I get compliments regularly when I wear it.  Red musk is the star in this one, but it's made deep and husky by the patchouli.  The roses are present and sugared, but they're smoothed into the blend so they bolster and add complexity to the red musk rather than turning this into a floral blend.  Gorgeously feminine and sexy.  Sweet, but thick and earthy enough that it comes across as womanly vs. girlish.  One of the few fragrances I bought a back up bottle for.  

Bard is one of the few in the RPG line that I love enough to have a bottle of.  Sweet, golden honeyed rum is what I get on my skin, but there's complexity and warmth from the other notes, and even the metallic hint of brass when I sniff deeply.  If you like rum or honey, this is a winner.  

Since I have imps of most of the RPG line, and you're supposed to be able to layer them, I figured I'd start experimenting and sharing my findings.    I will probably update this review now and then.  So, Bard with - 

Dwarf - Ooo... He's earthy, musky, and a little bit salty.  He seems to be eating peanuts at the bar.  This smells kind of nutty and comforting, and the musk in Dwarf isn't turning into wet dog on me!  Bonus.  I rather like this fellow, and I'd be happy to drink and sing a round with him.  As the night wears on, Dwarf-Bard hangs around.  He stays nice and earthy, the metallic note deepens (aided by the Bardy brass) and I start to get almost an incensey vibe.  I think I might be falling for Dwarf.    This combo would smell great on a guy, but I like it for myself as well.  

Elf- This one surprised me because, while I like Elf, and I like Bard, the two together don't do much for me.  I mostly get Elf with a bit of depth and sweetness added.  Since Elf is plenty sweet already, and I rather enjoy its light springy quality, depth and sweetness aren't adding to my experience.  She also seems to go a tad screechy.  I'm hanging out with Dwarf-Bard, on the left, eating peanuts and having a good time. Meanwhile, Elf-Bard is trilling loudly from my right, determined to grab my attention, because of course she's the best.  She's an elf!  No thank you Miss Elf-Bard.  You keep those berries.  I'm enjoying my peanuts!  

Gnome - This combo's not so great on me either. At first, the root beer and the rum sort of cancel out each other's sweetness. The spiciness of Gnome starts irritating my sinuses in the way dry soap can.  There's an odd, masculine woodiness that I find unpleasant and the notes are dischordant. Eventually, all the chaos settles, and I get a thin, honeyed root beer. Meh. I never liked bard being gnome's preferred class anyway. 

1/2 Elf - I love this combination so much.  The sandalwood in 1/2 Elf really cuts Bard's sweetness and adds to the warmth.  The combo also makes the beeswax/metallic twang note stronger.  1/2 Elf's ok by itself, but fantastic with Bard.

Good - Skin musk isn't great on me, and that's what I got when I mix these two - musky Bard.  In some ways, it actually reminds me of the gift fragrance, In Omnibus Caritas and some of the vulva Lupers.  Honey, sugar and skin musk.  Actually, not quite as sweet as I expected, but still quite sweet.  Probably very sexy on the right chemistry.  (I'm tempted to add 1/2 Elf to get that sandalwood in there...)

Evil - Hell.  Yes.   Evil by itself is kind of soapy boy-cologne on me, but it combines so well with the series.  Here, I get all the sugary charm and warmth from Bard, with an intriguing hint of mystery.  He's tinged with incense and complexity.  He's also well-washed - but only so he can  dirty you up in the best way possible.    Very sexy and unisex.    

Neutral - Musk.  MUSK.  MUUUUUSK.  Warm musk?  Seriously - I no longer recognize Bard.  He/she is too apathetic to play right now.  Just hang'n out in the shadowy corner - musking.  The combo is pleasant, comforting, and unobtrusive.  It also works better for me than Neutral by itself.  If you like snugly musk, check it out.  

Chaotic - Eww.  Not for me.  This becomes weirdly citrusy and cologne-like when I combine the two.  It sort of settles down after a wait, but not my thing or right for my chemistry.  It might work for guys though?  

Lawful - This is your bard who plays for the symphony, doesn't have gambling debts, and never tells bawdy jokes.  Lawful amps up the wood notes and surprisingly, the beeswax.  It also cuts the sweetness.  This bard plays sweet violin music into the night rather than carousing, drunk, in the tavern.  I must admit, I'm more partial to scallywags, but this is a very nice alternative.  I'm not a fan of Lawful by itself.  

The coffee in this blend is more subdued than most of the other Kaffeeklatsch blends.  I do get a bit of oud manure, but not as much as I often do in blends, so if oud's not usually problematic for you, this should be fine.  Everything is extremely well blended.  There's something almost deeply fruity that I can smell, which is in unexpected. I almost get a dark chocolate covered fruit vibe.  There's a slight harshness and earthiness from the vetiver, but I don't really get patchouli.  I'm sure it's in there, adding depth and warmth, but everything kind of melds together for me.  This will probably age beautifully and I suspect the oud will mellow.  

This is a simple but lovely tea blend.  There's no floral jasmine, just something that smells like a cross between the slightly floral white tea note and black tea.  The bergamot makes this smell sunny and warm, but I wouldn't say it's a bright smell.  There's a hint of smooth spice.   This really does smell to me like a cup of hot, expensive tea.  

This one is kinda weird and yuck at first.  Overly sugary snow musk with a weird menthol burn on the back end.  Sometimes I get a medicinal bite from sandalwood, and that might be part of what's happening here.  Anyways, after about 10 minutes of dry down... magic.   

This becomes a glorious, creamy sandalwood overlaid by rich, dusky black currant with the barest hint of purple floral.  It verges on foody,  like stewed fruit, but the sandalwood keeps it from going over the edge.  No menthol or snow, just something beautiful.  It lasts forever and wafts all over the place.  One of my favorites for winter.  

This doesn't smell like the "grass" note I'm used to from the lab.  It's less lush, sappy, and green, and more cool aquatic musk.  Not salty pirate aquatic, more freshwater with a tiny hint of soap.  It's bright and playful, and there's something chilly in the fragrance that I almost recognize.  It's kinda driving me crazy.  Something a bit like mint, but not.

Then.... Bub turns into bubble gum.  Fruity, cheery, pink bubble gum with a hint of sweet and sugary lemon drop.  Almost like Jailbait if it was actually kid friendly.  This is definitely not what I expected.  A few minutes later, the scent starts to warm up and I get some light, fuzzy musk.  No table scraps unless they consist of bubble gum.  It's a very happy scent, though I'm not sure I would have ever guessed at the notes.  Beaming memories is a good comparison though.  I think more of childhood but if there's a dog involved, he would be chasing around a water hose, surrounded by kids, on a bright summer day. 

I don't think I'd wear Bub much, but it's nice to have smelled it and smiled.  I think this would be a great choice for a child, or just someone in need of some bottled happiness.   

To me this is exceeeedingly sweet - just too much.  If Rapture Pig just wasn't sweet enough - this one's for you.  Almond and sugary pink rose that's made soft and creamy by the abalone and orris.  I wish I was getting black currant, but I'm not.  😕  

My first thought was this smells like Satyr, which I love.  Sexy, animalic, masculine-leaning red musk and patchouli.  Then the leather becomes more prominent and the patch becomes more woody.  I get almost a chypre effect in the background, probably from the oud and vetiver mingling.  I'm not getting any "manure" from the oud.  

This is dark, smooth, and very nice.  If Satyr and Criminal Glamour had a love child, it would be into BDSM and smell like this.    I like this very much, but I have other fragrances that are similar enough, I can resist it.  

I get vanilla, cinnamon, root beer, and a waxy artificial cherry that's still nice.  Definitely red Twizzlers "licorice."  I'm not getting any anise.  I get a hint of the red musk, which makes the scent more "grown up," and I don't smell Tombstone per se, but I do get more depth that I would expect from all the sugary notes, so I'm sure the cedar and balsam and what not are in the mix.  I also like the fake cherry note better than the artificial strawberry note I often get, but they both have a very "pink" feel.  This is a sweet blend that's fun and whimsical, but still manages to be grown up. 

In the bottle, I smell creamy, sweet wood but no definable notes.  The champaca immediately becomes prominent on my skin though.  It's smooth rather than incensey.  After reading the notes, I realize the coconut is probably the creamy sweetness I'm picking up and is more milky than fruity.  There's a bit of a suntan lotion vibe mixing with the other notes.  As this dries down, it does become more smoky.  The sandalwood balances out with the champaca and the scent deepens.  I really like this stage  :;).    Smooth, incensey suntan lotion.  Nice and surprisingly sexy.  

I'm not a fan of red oud and mahogany, so take my review with a grain of salt.  This smells masculine to me, with the oak moss and red oud prominent.  If you're worried about vetiver - I don't get much.  Definitely no barbeque style anyway.  This does smell high end, but it's not for me.  

I expected something evergreen smelling - aka pine - but that's not what I get.  I get something alcoholic, almost like cognac, with a gently sweet backing.  It verges on cologne.  My brain wants to say this is a cousin to Golden Priapus.  They don't smell the same, but they're in the same family, both being sort of a nuzzly, sweet smell that's verging on masculine but doesn't quite get there for me.  This isn't particularly to my tastes, but it's pleasant enough.  

Husky, musky, and sweet, with a thread of honey and sugar cane I recognize from Temple Viper.  This smells very luper to me.  Torischroeder9 mentioned vulvas, and I agree %100.

Transeo is bright, fruity, and sort of Christmasy to my nose.  It's pleasant enough, but not something I'd wear.  

I get fruity roses at first, but then a soapy evergreen starts to take over from the juniper, and this becomes more fresh and masculine leaning.  I don't get much wine, unless it's the fruity splash at the beginning.  I don't get any overbearing cinnamon either, or any cumin, which is a rarely found note I really like.  😕  I think I can smell tinges of the manderin, but they are very much there adding brightness to things rather than being fruity.  

As this dries down, I get a bit of swampy sourness that unfortunately happens to me with some of the lab's rose blends, so.... yeah.  Rose, I know you're in there.  You can't hide.  🤨 

Ok, now the soapiness is evening out a bit with the other notes.  It's still there, but I'm getting some complexity from the other notes.  There's something warm and slightly spicy lurking behind this scent.  

Transeo is ... ok...  It doesn't smell like air freshener, or soap, or cleaner or anything cheap to me, but I don't really care for it.  That said, this isn't a fragrance I would ever have picked up based on the notes, so if you like juniper and roses - give it a go.  It's got an evergreen vibe to it without the typical forest smell.  I'd say it's unisex.

I finally busted my decant of this puppy out, and now I'm considering hunting down a bottle.  Champagne and tobacco are the first notes I get, though tobacco isn't specifically listed,  I can't believe it's not in here somewhere though.  I can smell the sticky brownness I get from opium in the background, and I do get a thread of vanilla, but that's not what this lace is about. 

Really, this is tobacco, opium and very dry champagne on me.  I get almost a fuzzy porcelain texture from it rather the tart fizz I usually associate with the fruitier champagne blends that have mixed luck on my skin.  When I hear "Champagne Lace," I think Maria Antoinette in a something pink, Rococo, and brightly festive, but this smells delightfully debouched to me.  This is the torn, champagne-stained lace after the besotted aristocrats have their orgy.    I dig it.

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.