naeelah

CLXXI - Wet, this smells basically the same as Green Tree Viper. Pronounced Snake Oil with at least 2 kinds of mint (definitely spearmint). It has a fuzzy, powdered sugar quality, like Green Tree Viper. (I wonder if that's the combo of the spearmint and snake oil.) As it dries, the mint becomes less fuzzy and much sharper. Aha, that's eucalyptus. It's really strong at first but after a minute or two, it dissipates into the background, leaving it smelling like Green Tree Viper again, just with a brighter, cleaner after taste (er, scent). I'm not picking out much else. Basically, strong Snake Oil + spearmint + eucalyptus.

CVIX - this one is like a cross between O and Aries '07. It isn't half as sweet as plain O. The oil has a pale orange-red tinge and I think it contains dragon's blood. There's something that goes straight to my sinuses. The jury is still out on what it is, but it fades as it dries. The strongest note is a light, clean but sweet floral. Maybe honeysuckle or orange blossom. There's definitely a little dragon's blood, and as the blend dries, I can smell more of the amber and vanilla, which combine to form a nice, round, golden, slightly sweet core. There's a little bit of waxy honey. I'm still not sure what the sinus piercing note was. I initially thought something like pepper or cardamom, but the more I sniff it, the less I feel like there's any spice. There's something a tiny bit fuzzy about the blend that gets stronger and stronger over the next couple of hours. Definitely some kind of resin, I think frankincense. This is really lovely. It reminds me a lot of Khrysee, but softer and sweeter. And with frankincense.

LXX; straight up Dorian with cinnamon. As in, like red hots, but it's subtle enough that it isn't like slathering yourself in candy. Compared to regular Dorian it feels a little bit lighter and cleaner -- maybe there's an aquatic note here -- with a hint of red hot cinnamon in the background. The note that initially struck me as aquatic now reminds me of dragon's blood, but the oil is gold, not orange or red at all, so not sure if it contains dragon's blood. But something seems to suggest a cherry-like resin. (It also comes off a little bit like red musk.) As it wears, everything melds together into a nice, warm, round, smooth, creamy scent. This will be a great winter Dorian. LXVII Foody like woah! But with a twist. I think I might love this one. Wet there's a blast of something sugary and cake-like. I get suggestions of milk chocolate buttercream, nearly burnt english muffins, brown sugar... It sort of smells like a snickerdoodle, but it's contrasted with the lemon and bright musk of Dorian and it's....way better than regular Dorian. It does smell a bit like a Yankee candle shop, but in a way that's awesome. The sugar seems to be fading as it dries (and I lose the impression of chocolate) so eventually, it has more of a clean Dorian quality with a little Snickerdoodle for color. This one fades pretty quickly, on me. I'll update these as the blends age and I get better impressions.

I haven't tried Fenris Wolf, but for me, Marianne in CD was a LOT like Smut. Smut with patchouli.

tinyvulture, wow, your chemistry and mine are almost nothing alike then. Except for Tabula Smargdina and Rose Cross, I didn't find many of those to be that similar. (In the sense that they aren't close relatives. Cousins, perhaps.) It's funny how different each scent is to each person, between our skin chemistries and the things our noses can pick up. tamburlaine, off the top of my head, I can only think think of Love Lies Bleeding. You'd want to layer on something like Wrath or something with vetiver, but it's got the same chocolate and dragon's blood vibe. Three Gorgons is major black pepper with a hint of vetiver. It has a lot of citrus but citrus tends to evaporate quickly, so it might be a good candidate for layering.

I'm trying this for the first time, 5 years after it was imped. First impression is PEPPERMINT! As it dries the mint softens and a soft floral quality emerges. There is also a light herbal note. The lavender is strongest but the lemongrass gets a bit more noticeable as the blend continues to morph. The lemongrass but it doesn't scream lemon. I really get no sense of lemon from gemini at all. Dry. it's a light, refreshing herbal mint blend lightened and sweetened by sweetpea. It's abit like Bess in character. Loveley for hot weather or for any time you need refreshing or reviving.

Hiya. Just so you know, the recommendations forum is the best place to ask for "what is a BPAL that smells like....." requests, so this post will probably be moved there. Have a look at the libraries and paper recommendation thread. There haven't been too many library-like BPAL blends so the list to try is pretty short. IMO the best pure musty book scent is Lurid Library. That's an old LE but it often pops up on ebay or around the forum, and for pretty cheap. For stuff in the general catalog, Aziraphale or Buggre Alle This Bible is probably best. If you haven't already, check out reviews of those. They're similar in some ways but you might find that one sounds more like what you have in mind. (Also, I think CB I hate Perfume has an old book scent, if you want to check out another perfume company. I haven't tried it myself, though.)

My review of this scent, in a word, is YAY! There aren't enough early spring floral blends. As you might expect, the flowers here are well blended. If there are any standouts to my nose, it's the wisteria, phlox, and daffodil, but they calm down a little as it dries. It's definitely more like walking through a spring garden. It's a little bit green, with a combination of bright, sparkling blooms and smooth, sweet ones. The honey is very faint. It comes on the front edge of the scent: a hint of sweetness and wax. Wisteria and what might be the wild flowers linger on the finish. The honey is more waxy than syrupy and it's very subtle. For me, the scent starts out with practically no honey, and it gradually warms up as it wears. Generally, this is a sunny, airy, vibrant floral blend with just enough sweetness for balance. Beautiful! Definitely springtime in a bottle.

Heh, funny that my review would come right after one of CXCIV! It can't be overstated - be careful with the writing on the labels. Mine was already half rubbed off just from shipping, so I've covered it with packing tape. CXCV - so far, I can't detect any snake oil component. In the box, something smelled like Miskatonic U. Wet, it smells strongly of lemon (very tart and cleaning solution-like) and tart cherry. There's an undercurrent of dusty paper and wood that comes out as it dries. The lemon burns off, so once dry, it smells primarily of paper and polished wood with VERY faint hints of lemon and cherry. I cannot pick out Snake Oil, per se, but there's definitely some kind of anchor here. (ETA: after several hours I do get a distinct sense of snake oil, but it is a light base note. I think it will get a little stronger with age.) I'm really curious to see how this one smells in a month or two. As it stands, I'm calling it Miskatonic Lite, because the combo of wood and paper here smells just like Miskatonic minus the coffee (the snake oil provides just a slight creaminess, taking the place of irish cream). It's a BPAL fan studying with a mug of herbal tea.

d'oh! I'm glad you posted the picture because I obviously completely forgot when I got home. Some people say navy, I still say black. What do you say? Any word from the lab? Think we should open a poll?

I got a bottle of this from the DD trunk show, I've never tried it fresh. The overall scent quality of this is so much like bubblegum. It is definitely pink, sweet, and silly. It has morphed a bit different only me every time I've worn it. Initially, it's always sweet and a little creamy, and it smells very much like regular, original flavor bubblegum. I can smell a bit of beeswax, soft vanilla, and pear. The strawberry seems entirely absent. As it dries, the sweet pea comes out and counters the creaminess. The dry edge combined with the sweetness is, I think, what makes it smell like bubblegum. It always starts the same, but some days it's more floral when dry, and others, like today, it smells mainly of beeswax. Only pink. The pear fades away as it dries, so it's only a suggestion, but it's quite noticeable when wet. The vanilla is subtle but present. So in the end, I'd say this is a sweet pea and beeswax scent, colored by sweet pear and vanilla. I wish I could smell the strawberry. Someone way back in the review thread mentioned Hollywood Babylon, so I think I'll try layering for a more strawberry-tastic, grown up version. Try it if you like: Democrat, The Perilous Parlor, Cancer, Love's Philosophy, Beaver Moon (either one)

The label strikes me as being shiny black, but I think you're right that there's a blue undertone. In any case, it's a ninja label. I think age will do this blend some good. Now it's only spices, with hints of brown sugar and dark chocolate. I guess I mostly smell nutmeg and allspice with dry ginger (it's not very bright or citrusy). It's a dry chocolate, not buttery like the Chocolate Box scents, very much like a 70% chocolate bar. To my nose, the sugar is just balancing the spice. This isn't as sweet as, say, Kill-Devil. The thyme and roots come out as the oil dries, helping to anchor the scent and keep it from being like a dessert. I can't pick out the anise at all. It's dark and subtle enough to not be so foody. It doesn't scream pumpkin pie. Once totally dry, the chocolate fades far into the background. It's a bit like Jo Malone's nutmeg and ginger cologne, but with a crust of brown sugar. Most BPAL spice blends have been dominated by clove or cinnamon, so I'm happy to have one that's mostly nutmeg and ginger. Don't think of this as a chocolate blend, think of it as a spice blend.

This is just a place holder until I can take a picture-- woah! the new 13 has a stealth label! It's solid black, with the word THIRTEEN in a distressed looking block serifed font across the bottom, in white. No date or anything, just THIRTEEN and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab underneath.

My best guess is: eanach = long a + "nach" like you say "loch". dhuin = chewin (with the "ch" pronounced a bit harder than English) Do feel free to correct me or suggest an alternative!

This is probably not very helpful, on account of the blend being hard to get, but for my skin, Snow Angel dries to an amazing, true jasmine tea scent. (Well, there is a hint of peach.) When I tried it on, it was all peaches and cotton candy, so I was a little "meh", but then 20 minutes later it turned into almost pure jasmine tea. So if you get a chance to try it, see how it goes. I guess you've tried Gennivre? It has mint, but that aside, it was also a very nice jasmine milk tea scent. Nice and summery. Reminds me of my favorite bubble tea drinks. LadyLuckless, since you're after mint, you also might be interested in Gennivre. Green Tree Viper is very minty but it's a complement to Snake Oil, which of course is very sultry and musky, so it isn't such a pure mint scent. But it does have a powdery sweetness. Have you considered just trying diluted peppermint EO or getting a peppermint single note perfume from some natural goods shop? It might be worth a try. There's also the recurring Lick It LE, which is the scent of a peppermint candy, so it will be a bit sweet. In the realm of general recommendations: Eros is a great straight black tea scent, if you also like honey. To my nose the tea note is the same as Famine (which is also a wonderfully aromatic black tea blend).

Yes it is! *uncontrollable sobbing* I have another "If you like [x], you might like [y]" type of recommendation. I just received my Red/White Rose Unity set, and White Rose really reminds me of Snow Angel. My Snow Angel was from the sweet, peachy tea batch of the resurrected version. Although not identical, I think they're cousins once removed. For me, Snow Angel starts out strong on the cotton candy and peach and dries to a lemony jasmine tea. White Rose starts out sort of like vanilla lemon cotton candy and dries to be kind of a coconut white rose tea. Both are sweet, light, white, fuzzy kinds of scents with a twist of lemon. All recommendations are YMMV, of course. Noses and skin vary wildly. Offer not redeemable in stores.

Hmm, Rose Red is probably as close as the lab's rose scents get to SGA. It has that frosty edge. You could try layering a slightly minty scent over it and experiment until you find a combo you like (maybe scents like: Ultraviolet, Cloister Graveyard, Death of the Grave Digger, The Coil). For other fresh rose scents, try the BPTP's atmospheric blend The Queen's Croquet Ground. It smells almost identical to RR, but without the chilly quality. It's a very fresh, slightly green, aromatic, dewy rose, and it's fantastic. I don't know the atmosphere spray ingredients so I don't know how skin safe it is*, but it is definitely safe for fabric (use discretion on delicate or pale fabrics, of course), so you can spray it on your clothes! *I'm sure it isn't made from anything nasty or harmful -- it seems to be water rather than alcohol -- but it may contain preservatives or other chemicals, so there's more chance of a skin sensitivity.

If you love the lab's honey note, especially if you want it to work for you but it just turns into cat pee, YOU MUST TRY THIS. Remember, room sprays mean never having to say "I can't wear this"! Although I can smell each note distinctively, once it settles, the prevailing quality is definitely honey. The honey is a rich, round, smooth honey, part beeswax and part sweetness. It's the same kind of honey that's in Mead Moon, and combined with the almond and myrrh, this spray is a very similar kind of scent overall. It's not spicy enough to be MM's twin, but it's definitely a close cousin. The other notes really just enrich and round out the honey scent, to my nose. I smell ylang ylang, I smell almond, but this isn't a floral or nutty or resinous scent. It all unites under the glorious tree of HONEY! (Spray upwind of a Pooh at your own risk.)

In ways this reminds me of Snow Angel, because like Snow Angel, it's a soft, white scent that is dominated by a smooth, lemony tea and candy-like sweetness. Wet, it's almost like vanilla cotton candy with lemon. Gradually, it dries into a soft white rose (the same one from Parlement of Foules) with creamy sweetness. The vanilla and coconut are no longer so candy-like, just round and sweet. (Together, it reminds me a bit of Symmakhia.) The tea note surprisingly seems to be a green tea note. It's bright and lemony, not at all like the black tea notes in Famine or Eros. It's most similar to Dorian, smooth, vanilla cream with a squirt of lemon. The citrus edge really cuts through all of the fuzzy whiteness, but it softens considerably over the course of the first hour. Unfortunately it seems to fade as it dries. After an hour or so, it's a very subdued vanilla coconut cream with white rose and a twist of lemon. The frankincense doesn't stand out at all, except perhaps to add a very, very faint fuzziness. Taken separately, I like this better than Red Rose, so far. It seems more unique. (Also, the past few months I've been in love with this white rose note.) Again, I haven't yet layered them, but I think the whole will definitely be greater than the sum of its parts.

Initially, this was not very rosy and it was quite strong on an aggressive, sharp, almost medicinal note. I think this was the combination of the clove, fir, and musk. It didn't strike me as evergreen, it kind of came across as a spiky resin or black pepper. At this stage, it reminds me of the Illustrated Woman, when it was fresh (which was very sharp and earthy on me). About 15 minutes later, it has softened out into a gentler, fuzzy clove scent. The rose is there, but clove is the first thing I notice. The other notes are basically here to round out the scent. Apart the from the rose and clove, nothing calls attention to itself. I don't get much sense of musk at all from this and it definitely doesn't scream evergreen. It's just a soft, glowing, clove deepened by red rose. It's actually quite similar to Mort de Cesar, just a little bit warmer. I have not yet layered it with the White Rose (wanted to test them individually first), but WR is a completely different kind of scent, and I definitely think they'll smell best together.

This is just what it says: rose and narcissus. Maybe it's just because I don't know what narcissus smells like on its own, but I don't really register this as anything other than a straight rose blend. It just has an airy edge to it, undoubtedly the narcissus. The rose in this is a rich red one, but compared to other rose blends, such as Peacock Queen, this is not nearly as deep and voluptuous. If she was a bit too haughty for you, or if you just want something a bit lighter and more spring-like, then I think you might like Pride. This actually reminds me a lot of Somnus. Somnus definitely has either a rose or rose geranium note, and if you stripped out the lavender, I think the remaining floral blend would be similar to this. The main difference is that as this dries, it becomes a little bit deeper and richer.

Although this has white chocolate, on my skin, it does take more of a milk chocolate scent. I can smell white chocolate -- sugary and creamy -- but there is definitely something that smells like cocoa here. The chocolate is strongest when wet, accompanied by slightly tart and bitter orange. It smells very much like a chocolate orange ball. As it dries, the herbs begin to emerge and balance the sweetness, but this is short-lived, as the black currant barrels in and takes everything over. It's thick and jammy but this is offset by the herbs and orange zest. The chocolate isn't so noticeable now, but a trace of that note remains. So in the end, it's black currants with herbs and tart citrus, with only a hint of chocolate. Really nice for currant lovers. Although it's sweet, it's not necessarily foody. Just curranty. It reminds me of Freak Show.

Each time I try this, it morphs a little differently. In December, it remained mostly syrupy peaches. Now, the syrupy peaches fade away as it dries. Once dry, I thought there was rose, but I think that's just the combined effect with the neroli (as obviously, rose is not a listed note). Dry, it's predominately gardenia and neroli with light vanilla cream and a hint of fruit. The gardenia doesn't scream gardenia like many blends. It's a light, perky gardenia, not a thick, voluptuous one. (More Bigger Critters than Whore of Babylon.) Everything here blends pretty well. I'm very happy that the peach is no longer rampaging through the countryside, because it works much better as a coloring note. The neroli is acting like a base note, providing a dry, almost brittle foundation for the sweetness. It's a nice contrast. On the whole, this is a creamy, sweet, lightly floral vanilla with a hint of fruit. I wasn't going to keep the decant at first, but now that the peach is cooperating, I like it. It's a light, spring-like, innocent kind of blend. Try it if you like: Katrina van Tassel, Eisheth Zenunim, Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Those Condemned to Die, MB: Bigger Critter, Symmakhia.

Although you can pick out the individual notes here if you look for them, everything here blends well into a single effect, and I think this works best to take it as a whole. Wet, crisp, watery, freshly sliced fruit is strongest, and the apple dominates. It's a juicy red apple. None of the fruit smells syrupy, fake, or tart -- it's just like sniffing a bowl of fruit salad. Along with the fruit comes a light flower, but they blend together almost seamlessly. As it dries, sugared vanilla cream slowly oozes in and rounds out the scent. It's exactly like fruit salad served with whipped cream. It's a sweet, pink, happy kind of fragrance. After an hour or two, it's already fading away. The fruit has lightened up enough to me pick out the florals, but they still blend. I definitely wouldn't call this a floral scent. This is all creamy vanilla with fruit and some light, sweet flowers for balance.

Apparently I amp sour, because every candy-like blend that I try goes really tart and dry on me, compared to other reviews. Wet, this goes through a brief phase somewhat like cough syrup -- it's thick, sweet cherry with a tart undertone and a liberal application of butter -- but fortunately that goes away as soon as it starts to dry. The cherry in this is very much like the cherry in Bloody Mary. I feel like there are two things making up the cherry: a juicy, sweet candy-like note (like the GC cherry in Vice or some of the Mad Tea Party blends), and a tart, dry cherry, like Kool-Aid powder. The cherry is way stronger than the chocolate, on my skin, and the tart aspect of it is strongest. So this feels more like an old-fashioned hard candy to me than a cherry cordial. BM was a little lighter and sweeter, because the tartness was offset by sugared cream. Here, the tartness is complemented by dark, dusky chocolate (not unlike a more buttery Candy Butcher), so if BM is a day scent, this is the night equivalent. Throw is pretty strong while wet, but it fades a bit quickly.