mazikeen

I bought a full bottle unsniffed for the name alone. As a Snape fangirl and a Velvet Underground fan, I knew I needed a bottle just for collection's sake. Plus, when you tell me I can't have something anymore, I naturally want it even more.

 

Wet: LEMONHEADS. The candy. It's exactly that sort of lemon smell. Not cleaning supplies or dryer sheets, not tea or fresh fruit. Definitely not leather. A heady, sugary lemon. Not what I was hoping for, but yummy nonetheless.

 

Dry: *poof* Gone. If I really try, I can barely make out a more "adult" tea-ish scent.

 

Zero throw when dry, almost zero wearlength. This is the scent equivalent of Fruit Stripe gum. If the first stage lasted longer, or the second stage was a thousand times stronger, this would be a winner. Alas. I'll keep the bottle for geeky reasons, and use it when I need a quick pick-me-up, or for fleeting moods.

Love the art on Nonae Caprotina!

My original review that I moved from the "Blood Moon" thread to here, for the sake of accuracy:

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this yet. Probably because, like many of the oils I love the most, I have a hard time describing it. I am so glad I sprung for a bottle of this unsniffed (and without reading reviews)... it is lovely.

 

Pretty strong throw, which I like. I don't get the cinnamon that others have mentioned, and fortunately not a single whiff of anything resembling dragon's blood (which I feared may show up). It's musky but tempered by an airiness. It evokes the inspiration well-- this is for when you're feeling strong and on the prowl. However, it's not as aggressive as that sounds. It's absolutely appropriate for everyday.

 

Definitely worth a bottle. This makes it into my permanent collection for sure.

 

This scent remains a favorite. There's a certain quality in many BPALs that I am a sucker for.. a biting & clean quality that I associate with "herbal." This version of Blood Moon has it, but in a scarier and drier way. The lyric "dead leaves on the dirty ground" springs to mind. It's a Fall type scent which works wonderfully year-round, even now on a sunny happy spring day.

 

I love the imagery associated with Blood Moon, and the scent itself captures it. This is in my Top 10, and possibly my Top 5. I'd love to track down the first version of Blood Moon to compare.

The first character is Zuko from Avatar, if anyone recognizes it. I'm looking for something that smells of fire or burning, possibly with distinctly Asian hints with it as well.

No "Asian hints," just straight-up burning fire: War. It's an almost painful explosion of pepper.

Next is a character who drowned from a horror video game. Here I'm looking for a scent that smells intensely of water and lake--I describe it as "I'm looking for something that smells like drowning", pretty much.

I second Undertow. It really does feel like slipping down into dark, heavy water. Also, Niflheim is good and darkly watery, and a bit otherworldly.

The next character is aristocratic, very rich and very spoiled with heavily Arabian roots, intermingled with a touch of France. I'm looking for something that smells very Middle Eastern with touches of aristocracy--something just a little bit masculine but very very feminine. Possibly a bit bookish as well.

Baghdad and Grand Guignol both come to mind, but it's been ages since I've smelled them, so I'm not certain. May be worth a try?

 

 

All recs here are GC!!

Length: Just what I want. 8 hours later and it's still going strong.

Throw: Again, just what I want. I can smell myself as I move through my day, but I don't fear that I'll overpower those around me.

Impressions: Dark, but not too dark that I can't wear it in summer. It feels feminine, without smelling like anything traditionally "feminine." Like an antique dress of dark burgundy or purple velvet. Someone mentioned "Victorian," and yes, I can totally see that.


I like! I'll wear!

Oh man, I'm freaking out... the new GC labels are awesome. Great incentive to pick up a few that'd I'd been meaning to get for awhile. AND... I adore those Graveyard Book labels. Adore!!

 

 

I think I speak for all of us when I say: Holy shit, Tramp & TwilightEyes. You own bottles of everything. We are all insanely jealous.

A good masculine/feminine scent. Definitely appropriate for either gender.

 

This has the weirdest ingredient list! The tobacco provides a base... and yes, there's a bit of a chili pepper. I can't directly smell the melon, honey or juniper, but they must be sweetening this up because it certainly doesn't smell simply like spicy tobacco. It's so thoroughly blended that it is more than the sum of its parts. It's not at all foody or boozy, fortunately.

 

I've loved every African-related scent I've encountered so far. Ogun is definitely bottle-worthy. This could really grow into a favorite.

 

Added--

For some reason this reminds me of many of the Steamworks scents, in a general way. Those smell of brass and wood and this doesn't at all... but for some reason they remind me of one another. If you like those, I'd recommend checking out Ogun.

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet. I've used up an imp and am now working my way steadily through my bottle. This is easily in my Top 10 Favorites. I see it as a cousin to Yggdrasil-- while they don't smell alike, they share enough commonalities that if you like one, I'd recommend trying the other.

 

Herbal and almost mentholated. Cool, crisp and green. It feels both comforting and strong.

 

Good throw and wearlength.

 

My husband wears Odin a lot too. We both love it. I haven't tried burning it yet, but I bet it'd make a great room scent as well.

I tell hubby all the time that I wish they did gift certs. It would make it so much easier when my parents ask me what I want for bday & xmas. They don't seem to like ordering things online. LOL

Same here. This year I was really specific at Christmas and told everyone that I wanted BPAL. Rather than complicate things with a detailed wishlist, I suggested buying me a Visa giftcard that I could use online at BPAL.

 

No dice. I got everything I wanted this year (lucky me!)... except BPAL. No one wanted to buy online (from a place that wasn't Amazon) or give cash.

 

Since wishlisting individual bottles in a way that clueless in-laws can understand sounds like a complicated undertaking, simply offering BPAL gift certificates would be a welcome alternative!

CITRUS! And nothing but! I seem to amp anything with citrus in it like mad, and this is no exception.

 

There's lemon, but not in a cleaning-fluid way, fortunately. It's crisp and bright. <b>Grapefruity!</b>

 

Not for me, but I'll pass this along to my springy-happy-outdoorsy sister.

 

ETA--

I received a second frimp of this. It's nice but I'll never wear it, so I started liberally dabbing my vaccuum cleaner paper filter with Arcana to make the house smell nice and fresh.

Without reading the description, I think golden and metallic. Ha. Yup, this is definitely bronzey. Nice. It's a little sharp, somehow. A machine you want to be careful around!

 

Good throw. Definitely wearable, but a little more masculine than I'd like. Seems a bit men's cologne-ish from a distance. After an hour or so the cologne-iness fades (along with the strong throw), leaving just the bronzey aspect.

 

A neat scent, but not one I need a bottle of, since there's a few other Steamworks that might suit me better. I bet this'll be great on my husband!

Woah, chemical. Not even "medicinal" (which I sometimes like) but harsh chemical sanitizer. The kind they'd use to clean in hospitals. Not good. Whew-- it sure does wake me up, though!

 

I'll try and see how long I can stand to keep this on, just in case it changes... but I do not have high hopes. Pass!!

 

Added--

30 minutes later and it's just lemon-- the awful astringency is gone. Ultra-sonic lemon... it's like lemon-scented dish detergent, which is a huge improvement over chemical port-a-potty cleaner, but still not something I'd ever want to smell like purposefully.

Red musk. Anytime a blend has red musk in it, all I smell is... red musk. And I find red musk to be a little boring.

 

Not for me. I passed the imp along to someone else to enjoy.

I finally tried this on a cold winter day looking for a little warmth. This was totally unexpected. It is a colder sun from the rest of this line, for sure. It seems appropriate that it represents evening. It's a cool warmth, if that makes any sense.

 

Every now and then there's just a hint of nighttime flowers. Mostly though it's ... what? This is so hard to pinpoint! A traditional spice of some sort is in there that gives it warmth. It is a little medicinal (a quality in BPAL I've always really liked, for some reason)... but yet does represent the sun, oddly enough. Perhaps its remembering and missing the feeling of sunshine, the moment you realize that its gone. This does not evoke nighttime or evening-- it is the very last sliver of daytime, indeed.

 

Throw: next to none. You have to get right up to it to smell it, but when you do, it's lovely.

 

Verdict: I really like this. If I had bought a bottle I wouldn't have regretted it. Since I missed my chance, I'll just enjoy the imp (but I won't be hoarding it).

 

A nice addition to the Stations of the Sun line, which I've really enjoyed overall.

 

ADDED--

Aged 4 (!) years now. It's lovely. Warm, with a small hot bite to it. No longer "medicinal" or cool. Man, this is great. I really wish I had a bottle.

As everyone else has said... ginger, a hint of lemon, a touch of cinnamon... it smells truly delicious. If this was the smell of cookies baking, my mouth would be watering. However, it's me that smells like baked goods... the scent itself is divine but it's not the way I want to smell. Foody scents just aren't me.

 

This would make a great house scent! It makes me think of a Mitch Hedberg quote: “I like cinnamon rolls; that's why I wish they would sell cinnamon roll incense, 'cause I don't always have time to make a pan. I'd rather light a stick and have my roommates wake up with false hopes.” Making your house smell like Shub would definitely taunt your housemates.

 

 

In sum: It's the yummiest foody BPAL I've ever smelled, but alas its too foody for me. I'm giving it to a Lovecraft-loving friend instead.

Bright, perfumey with a strong throw. Nothing taverny or hellish to be found.

 

This time I had to wash it off because it was just too sickly floral. Who knows-- maybe it could morph into something nicer but the flowery, ladyish, perfuminess made me nauseous. Cloying to the max.

 

It made its way into my "keeper" imp pile so I must've liked it okay the first time I tried it. Either way, it's totally not for me so it's moving to the swap pile.

At first there's a touch of that same raisiny health-food-store scent that I got from Priala. I'm not sure what it is-- maybe an unattractive aspect of myrrh? Looking at the list of ingredients and the reviews I figured this would be total win. What gives? It's not bad, just not something that I'd often reach for. I'm not a fan of that weird foodiness. So far, disappointed.

 

BUT... later it's so spicy and close to the skin. It's cozy and makes me want to curl up on a cold fall night. Hm, there may be hope for this yet.

 

I'm undecided. Time will tell-- sometimes a scent can really grow on me, and this just may.

 

ADDED Feb. 7:

 

I bought a bottle unsniffed simply because it has gotten so much forum love. I was hesitant at first with SM. It seems a bit bitter at first, then turns into something almost foody (yeah, I have no idea what in this would be "food"), but not like anything I could name. Like, a food that doesn't exist yet. I should add that I normally would run screaming away from anything described as foody... but yet I like this. A lot. Over the weeks and months it has become one that I reach for regularly whenever I want something rich and earthy. Anytime I'm wearing dark brown, odds are that I smell like SM.

 

In a word: BROWN. Dark rich deep regal brown.

Overall: Surprise win! This is one of my most often worn scents. 100% bottle worthy!

Very very cologney. Very. After it faded, a lovely spice scent lingered. Unfortunately, it smelled the best once it was gone.

 

I want to like it (based on its inspiration) but I just can't. It's so perfume-counter. Although come to think of it, if Lucifer wanted to blend in, the mall would be an appropriate place, eh?

Weird! Is that what dirt smells like? Nosferatu smells strange... and kind of bad... but yet I can't stop smelling!

 

Then, a weird lemoniness appears under the dirt.

 

Later, the lemon and dirt both disappeared. I keep getting flashbacks of Ochosi. Weird.

 

And then... it's gone. Nosferatu does not last long. Only that Ochosi-ish creaminess lingers slightly.

 

 

I'm not sure that I like it. I overused the word "weird" in this review but that sums up Nosferatu. It's worth an imp, because I think all the oddest scents are... they may not be for everyone, but when you love it you love it, so our undead friend here is worth a shot. I doubt that I'll ever love it, but I'll definitely have to try it out again.

I had a good feeling about this one and bought a bottle after reading only one review. Wet, I was afraid I'd be disappointed, but then... holy crap. This is AMAZING.

 

*nuzzle wrist* Ohmigod, I want to make out with my arm.

 

I don't smell a lot of leather; mostly just musk. It's not overly masculine (as I feared it'd be) and is very wearable. There's not a lot of throw-- it's pretty close to the skin, but that's okay. Its a confident scent and the mild throw keeps it from being too in-your-face.

 

This could be my go-to everyday scent. LOVE.

 

Added--

Months later, Husband opens my box of BPAL. Roots around looking for his bottle. "Hey, what's this? Brom Bones. I know that guy." Sniffs. "What are you doing with this? Holy crap, manly. It's all leather." Douses himself and feels tough. He still smells great when he gets home, although the scent seems to hang around on his clothing more than his skin.

The oil is the darkest BPAL I've ever encountered. I applied it with the imp stick and it looks like warpaint on my skin. Be very very careful when putting this stuff on!

 

Wet: dragon's blood.

As it dries: spice.

A little drier (but with warpaint streaks still showing on skin): musk + spice.

Throw: all dragon's blood, unfortunately. (I layered a bit of Bezoar over it to temper the boring redness of the dragon's blood, and it smelled lovely.)

Length: Lasts foooooreeeeeever.

 

It's nice and warm. It might be a good holiday scent. There's no need for a bottle, but I'll give the imp a good home.

Brisk, and what I think of as being traditionally perfumey. It smells like my husband's shaving cream. It's totally not for me-- I can't imagine ever wearing something like this. I'll pass the imp on to a male friend who's a huge Lovecraft fan.

Reading the description ("pale green herbal, darkly rooty") I was hoping for something different. Herbal? Rooty? Not here. This is flowery powder.

 

Still, as a flower-hater, this was floral in a way that I liked. Very very powdery, yes, but nonetheless I thought it smelled nice and fresh. I tried it a few times, all on days when I was feeling grimy, hungover, etc. and needed that bit of clean femininity.

 

My verdict: Wouldn't buy a bottle, but would use the imp on grimy days. I liked it.

 

Then unfortunately, my husband weighed in: icky baby powder. He hated it. Kept mentioning dirty diapers and even asked me to wash it off because it bothered him so much.

 

Solution: I'll keep it for grimy days when he's at work.

At first, on skin:

Feminine, floral, slightly lemony, ladylike perfume. Not bad, but it's nothing to get excited over. But of course, I'm not a fan of florals in general.

 

A little later:

I smell something familiar in here... my brain says "lilac" but I'm thinking maybe it's actually carnation.

 

A little later still:

Holy grandmother! Old lady-ish, with a really strong throw. Must wash off!

This is all cucumber. Very very strong in-your-face cucumber.

I used to buy cucumber essential oil when I was young from a little hippie herb shop. If I'd have smelled this 12 years ago, it's be love. However, these days I'm not sure that I like it anymore.

It's a different sort of cucumber scent than in the Bath & Body Works lotions-- this is much nicer, and much much fresher and brighter.

I can see why others like this, but I'll have to pass.