AEris

All I get out of this is rose, with a bit of a soapy quality. I only picked out a poof of narcissus immediately upon application, and it disappeared quickly. When I sniff my wrist up close, there is a slight plastic tinge. This seems to go away as the scent dries down a bit, though. Pride is okaaay, but I don't see myself wearing it again. I'm picky when it comes to rose, and I also wasn't it the right mood for it today.... If you're a rose conniseur, you MUST try this, because it's not completely unpleasant to me, and that's saying something.

First off, I don't like caramel (as I re-discovered today), so don't take too much stock in the negativity that ensues below. I tried this the same day that I tried Incubus, which is also heavy on the sweet thick caramel note. This may have confused my nose for the day. But, whatever the reason, I got hit by the wall of caramel and never got anything else out of Kill-Devil. I kept trying to get a hint of honey, and a few times I think I may have, but the caramel-rum note was so strong and sticky and sweet I just couldn't enjoy it. I can see why other people might like this, but it's too much caramel for me. I will pass this along!

The caramel really takes center stage in this perfume, and I've discovered I'm not that into caramel (well, I learned that when I hated caramel candy as a kid, I guess). So, my review will be biased against Incubus because I don't like caramel. And I am dumb for trying it yet again.... Anyways, in the imp, this presented itself as incredibly accurate to its namesake; sweet but out to Getcha at the same time. It's just plain hot and cold all at once, hot from the caramel and tobacco and cold from the icy mint. On my skin, the mint was gone within seconds (as it often is) and after that, all I could smell was yicky sickly sweet caramel. It completely took over my nose, and I left it on for over 2 hours, but I couldn't sift through the scent to find anything else. I blame whatever repressed childhood event which led me to hating caramel so much. (Really, who hates caramel? Blah) (Kill-Devil did the same thing on me. It could be my chemistry, too.) Whatever the reason, not for me. Off to a better home!

On me, this smells like gardenia, pineapple, and a hint of lemon (which I'm assuming is actually the ginger). It's very pretty, but it's not sticking out as a must-have-bottle blend. It's a little soapy on me, as well. I'm getting too used to being bowled over by unique BPAL potions!!! Hehe - even when I like something, if it doesn't make me tap dance, I'll shrug and let it pass me by. Someone else will love this way more than I'm giving it credit for! A happy, light, tropical floral with a flash of I-think-it's-fruit. And yet, I'm still gonna probably swap it

Nag Champa. So happy!!!!!!!!! Delicious. I wish everyone everywhere smelled like this all the time. Reminds me a bit of Guerlain Insolence without the florals (??) Yes, that's right....I think it's because there's a tonka bean note in Insolence... Seriously lovely. Round of applause from my little corner!!!!

I received this as a frimp from the scent psychics (I mean the lab) - Thanks so so so much! Always waaay too generous, and more than appreciated. Now onto Ultraviolet: Hahaha yes. yes it is. For a moment. And then.... This is one of the most beautiful wildflower florals I have ever smelled. I love the scent of spring violets, because they remind me of playing in my backyard as a child, dressed up in a salvation-army bridesmaid's dress pretending to be a hawaiian princess or 'i dream of jeannie.' Or, when my brother was involved, maybe Zelda or Princess Toadstool. (shout out to the children of Nintendo) But I digress. I am quite partial to mint and eucalyptus, so the opening blast made my brain tingle with glee! My skin amps these notes, and as expected, within 10 minutes the mint is completely gone (bye bye!) and what remains is a hint of eucalyputs with the most beautiful, delicate, accurate violet note in the universe. I have tried several violet scents, including Borsari Violetta di Parma. Borsari smelled gorgeous in the bottle, but once on my skin, it turned rotten and sour and gave me a headache. I gave up on violet scents from then on and decided they just wouldn't ever work for me. I am head over heels in love with this cool, dewy violet scent. I could just DIE! I can't say how much I love this. Easily in my top ten, and it is quite certain that I am in need of a full bottle of this. (My bank account cringes....I tell it "Deal with it!! Make it work!!") Ultraviolet will be a scent I turn to often. Totally my style.

For those of you whose favorite part of Snake Oil is the spices, this once's for you. With my skin chemistry, Banded Sea Snake is just Snake Oil with twice the spice. It's just too much for me, and I'm not a huge fan. I can see others loving this blend, but for me it was just sensory overload. Too much spicy woodsy, and not enough vanilla gooeyness.

I agree....I feel like this scent is familiar but still good. Almost woodsy. I am reminded of a little magick shop in Bristol, Rhode Island called the Magick Mirror. The smell when you walk through the door, that of mingling unburnt incense sticks wafting from their 'for sale' bins - it's a little 'come hither,' very welcoming, and warmly mysterious. I'm envisioning crystal points and sterling silver jewelry and tarot cards and porcelain faeries. And I feel like I'm about to walk behind the hanging tapestry to get a psychic reading.... People who don't like to smell "head shop" or "incense" should stay away from this. Me, I may have to order 5mL. It's just fantastic! I would imagine a scent named Event Horizon to be cold, murderous, intimidating, and warped. This perfume is a different interpretation - it turns you into the black hole, and you draw everyone to you by smelling frickin AWESOME! I'm not the one on the edge of space-time doom and non-existence; rather, I am the center of the gravity well and I'll just sit here working my mysterious ways and let you all come to me! :D

In the bottle: Whoa yum, this smells like yellow cake with a hint of strawberry. I think I'm gonna be in trouble here... Wet on skin: Turns to sweet strawberry candies, with a baked cheesecakey vanilla frosting background. Dried down: This is a beautiful Soft strawberry, with maraschino cherries (not dark cherries, this is candied), and delicious creamy vanilla frosting/cheesecake. It's AWESOME!!!!! Throw: I put this on twice before leaving my house, slathering my wrists and neck, and sadly it eventually stayed very close to my skin. The first half hour in the car it had great throw, but after the drydown, it was very subtle and I had to sniff my wrist to notice it. It lasted for a good 6 hours, but like I said, it was pretty much for my enjoyment only. Overall: I am in love with this scent, and I will use it sparingly so I can enjoy it for a long time. I'll have to use it on days where I don't want a huge perfume aura, and would rather just hint at my deliciousness. (wait What?) hehehe I think this is more unique than the original Beaver Moon, but it is not as strong. One of my precioussssessss for sure though....... ETA: After it's aged a bit, the berries become a little less sugary (still sweet, but not as candy-ish). The cheesecake also comes out a bit more than it did when it was new. I am still completely in lurve! I put some in my scent locket today, and I'm gonna enjoy it to the fullest!

Absolutely Gorgeous. I don't think it's possible for me to rave about this properly. A perfect soft jasmine with poppy, ylang-ylang, and herbal notes that remind me of lavernder. Incredible. I can't live without this, and I dont' intend to. My first more-than-one-bottle venture. Did I mention that this is incredible? Oh yeah I guess I did. Well, I ran out of adjectives because I'm settling in to a dream-drenched restful slumber. Goodnight!!! Edit: This has quickly become my all-time favorite BPAL. I am Totally obsessed!!!

Samhain '06 I got a decant of this from the forum, and decided to try it today. (I have a bottle of '07 on its way right now, and I'm just giddy! Wheee!) In the imp, it smells like apple cider, and not much else. Once I put it on, I got whiff of the gentlest patchouli-vanilla in there too (very discreet, and not really easy to pick out - this is not a strong or forceful patchouli at all). Then, I started getting the same sweet note that surprised me in Singing Moon...an almost peach, kind of sweetgrass note. It was dead-on the same essence.... After an hour or so, I sniffed again, and it was just warm, happy apple cider with some kind of tasty sweentess, not quite vanilla but maybe.... And now, it's dried down to luscious dripping honey. (This is about 5 hours into the whole experience.) It's just delicious! Every stage of this fragrance is yummy, and it never smells like an autumn Yankee Candle like I worried it would! SOO glad that I have a 5mL of '07 on the way, I hope it compares! Very happy that I tried this, I can see why people go nucking futs over it : -) Hey watch your mouth!

ooohhhh mmmmm this is a nice little feminine garden herbal floral butterfly wings faeries in slow motion kind of scent! It begins strongly with lavender and backed by jasmine and rose, and I guess there's a little musk in there to sweeten the deal, but I can't pick out the musk with my nose. This begins to dry down into a scent memory that I can't put my finger on....I think it's the combo of black rose and star jasmine, it's really making my brain itch! What does this remind me of??!! I like Sophia a lot, it's different than what I thought I might be interested in a perfume, but it does make me happy. It's best after it's dried down for a little while....just feminine, pretty, and herbal. I have a 5mL, it's probably aged somewhat b/c I got it on the forum, and I think I'm just gonna keep the whole thing!

This certainly is quite dark, the color of molasses. This one needs a little shake-shake invert before trying...it needs a mix to properly sample, as there seems to be a little bit of separation. Definitely dark chocolate, a tasteful note that isn't quite as foody as I expected. In the imp, it's a little rotten-milk smelling, but once on that sourness is completely non-existent and it's just a dark chocolate Snake Oil. The chocolate fades in about an hour, and I'm left with a dried-down, pleasant Snake Oil. It's pretty good, but I don't see myself springing for a bottle. If you're into dark chocolate or cocoa as a BPAL note, and you like Snake Oil, you'll freak out over this. It's just not enough to make me wild, personally, though.

So....... I've discovered that I really don't like leather as a note in perfume. My skin chemistry turns it into bleach. Yep, that's right: Clorox, chlorine bleach, sodium hypochlorite, whatever you want to call it, that's what this stuff smells like to me. Snake oil and bleach. I gave it a good 45 minutes, and it smells the same, and now I can't get it off with soap. It's got great staying power, at least Major bummer for me. Those who dig leather scents will love this one, I'm just not loving that note. Off to the swaps!

This is wicked pink on me! It's a bit too sweet, and it's not the kind of fragrance I tend to gravitate towards. There is a bit of spiciness, but it's mostly a sugared pink floral. Athough Pink Moon isn't aggressively loud, it's still cloying to my nose. I can see why other people would like it....but I'm not feelin it. This decant will find a new home!

I like this, but I don't think it behaves differently enough from Snake Oil on my skin. If I hadn't tried Snake Oil yet, I'd flip out over King Cobra, but after the first half hour I can't tell the difference. Looks like the limitations of my nose are saving me a few bucks this time. This time.

I am biased here, because Jasmine is pretty much one of my favorite fragrances. Disclaimer in place, I will now commence rave. New Orleans is so lovely! I don't get any sourness, rot, or anything remotely unpleasant. It truly is humid! I feel like my hair is still wet and fragrant from the shower. (Well, if I showered in a tropical waterfall, maybe.) Jasmine and Honeysuckle? I mean, can this possibly be anything but perfect? It lasts a good 4 hours, and still remains faintly after that. (Many of the more pleasant jasmine scents I've tried are gone within an hour or so, as my skin amps it right off in a fit of joy.) So, the throw and lasting power truly are pretty good. (The only jasmine that's lasted longer on me is Bruno Acampora's Jasmin concentrated oil. And that s*** burns my skin, like red rash it's so concentrated. And it's nice, but not as humid as New Orleans.) I will reach for this on days when I want to feel fresh and young and dewy. And it has a certain *wink* swirling around in there, too....something a little flirty and sexy and not quite so innocent.... If you like Child by Susan Owens or other soft jasmine scents, this is a must-imp for you! I can't wait till I can afford my next lab order, New Orleans will be a 5mL on the list!!

Ok....This is my favorite Snake Pit, by far. I haven't tried them all, but out of the ones that smelled promising in the imp, this is by FAR the most addictive! On my skin, the mint bursts out with bold, delicious arrogance and is a wonderful foil for Snake Oil. The mint dissipates on me within about 15 minutes, but the cool herbal notes (bergamot, *kiss*) remain to balance out Snake Oil's sweetness spicy warmth. This is like sprinkling cinnamon on your steak. (Try it, and try Green Tree Viper, and tell me it's not the same sensation!) Unexpected and gorgeous!!! I will buy my 5mL when I get my next check!! Love love LOVE this! I wore it all this weekend, and I know that any time in the future, I can dab it on and be brought back in time. I love how this mellows during the course of the day, too. Super sexy!

This is one of my favorite BPAL scents I've tried so far; and it's my first 5mL that I'm cuckoo psycho nuts over. Opium. Nuff said. It's absolutely intoxicating! Gorgeous heady incensey floral, puffing out heat and oh so luxe! It's super concentrated too; just a touch and I feel sexy all day! This is a signature scent. If I could resign myself to limit my perfumes, this would be one I couldn't part with. The first time I tried it, I drove to all the way to work with my wrist in my face, and my commute is an hour. I don't think I had one breath that wasn't seeking out Mum Moon that whole day! Just lovely!

Mmmmmmmm! This is different than what I expected; when I saw musk, amber, coconut, and tobacco, I expected a creamy, warm, sweet, spicy scent (kind of like Snake Oil or something). Upon opening the bottle, I realized I had to re-read the description to find out what this yummy goodness actually contained! My first impression in the bottle is gentle lime and woods, spicy with just a touch of warmth. On the skin, it warms up a little more after it dries down, and it's really just a unique, clean, spicy scent. It has a masculine edge, but could definitely be worn by both men and women. The coconut is just the faintest touch, and it's a green coconut. Pirate Moon is a very artfully blended, pleasant scent, aquatic without being sharp. There's not a whole lot I would be willing to part with in exchange for this.... This is so unique and so familiar at the same time. It really does make me feel like I'm on a wild sandy beach, salt in my hair, enjoying a perfect breeze in the sunset. Soft! I don't want to share any with the boy.....but I probably should, and then get me some pirate lovin A keeper for sure!

Adding this to my list of Must-Have bottles I love vetiver, but it's clearly a masculine scent, and I could never pull it off. (This was made more evident to me when I tried Anathema (vetiver, honeysuckle) - it was pretty at first and then turned straight-up manly man after like a half hour and I was so sad!) No more tears - Death Adder has taken vetiver where it needed to be in order to work with my chemistry! Snake Oil + vetiver = Kissy Kissy Love Love!!! It's basically the luscious, seductive Snake Oil that I love so dearly spiced up with the gingery sharpness of vetiver. It balances quite nicely on my skin! I'm so happy that it's working on me. This would probably work on a man, but it's appropriate for me, so I'll keep it as my own : -)

I got a cute chubby decant of this from brit as a newbie welcome gift (amongst other generous and carefully chosen snifties! brit you're the Best!!!!), and was sooooo psyched to try it because I love herbal scents and I'm obsessed with my lavender Somnium imps. In the imp, I smelled something surprisingly sweet, like berries almost! (?!%@$) Shocked, I proceeded to dab, and it was so amazing - I'm going to have a hard time describing this because I don't know what the hell is going on in my nose. On my skin, Singing Moon is sweet, and only slightly herbal. It is kind of like Bath & Body Works Flowering Herbs with an extra fruit note. Well, it's obviously much more sophisticated and beautiful than that, but cmon I said I can't describe it!! *Lay Off Me!* <--(Chris Farley voice) It's almost like there's a super-sweet grass, and it's got almost a peach or berry note that really amps on me. I wouldn't call this scent herbal; I'd call it coolly sweet. Honestly, like a hint of apricot or something here. From all the descriptions, I was like, "What the hell?" And since I liked it, I found a bottle on the forum for sale and scooped 'er up. There was a little part of me that expected the bottle to be somehow different. And nope, it's the same, undescribable, sweetly brain scrambling scent! I luurve it. And now I gots me a bottle! *dopey grin*

A scent as heavy as thunder from the Vatican, with notes that inspire every sin and excess. Black opium, with vetivert and honeysuckle. Well, this one started out as honeysuckle screaming over an old-ladyish perfume like a banshee. I could certainly pick out the honeysuckle, which is pretty, and underneath there was this english-gardenish "perfume" perfume, somehow generic and familiar. Interesting enough for me to wait and see what would happen. After about an hour, it's just plain vetivert on me. The honeysuckle and opium and whatever other floral notes may exist in here have completely evaporated, and I just smell manly. After this dries down, it is the most familiar thing.....I think my dad may have had a cologne or something that dried down on him in the same way that my chemistry turned this into straight-up spicy vetivert. I don't think I could get it on my fiance, because it really does have a strong floral wet stage, and he'd be like "why the frick did you give me women's perfume?" I'd like to get the vetivert as a single note, either for him or for my dad. Overall, I would like this on a guy after the drydown, but it's not a 'perfume' on my skin. My chemistry drives the florals away within a half hour or so, and now I just smell like men's soap or something. I mean, it's good, just not my thing.

In the imp, this smells absolutely decadent and perfect, and just what I was hoping for! Incensey-sweetened goodness! Out of all the snake pit descriptions, Temple Viper seemed to be the one I would like best. However, I just read some of the reviews here, and now that people said "grape!" I am totally getting that. All of a sudden, I think I smell like artificial-cloying grape soda. Hrrmmm.....In the imp, it's just outrageous, but after it dries down on my skin, it smells so grape-y. I don't know if this is as bottle-worthy as I had hoped. Good for my wallet, bad for my expectations. Good thing I have the rest of the snake pit to try out! Edit: Mwah, considering what could happen after this ages for a while, I think I may actually just get a dang bottle. If there's any chance that the Fanta Grape soda note will calm down and this could smell like it does wet in the decant, well....It would be one of my favorites, maybe my #1! I've decided it's worth that chance Edit after 6 months: THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! :D Just as I had hoped, the grape-soda impression totally disappeared, and it smells just gorgeous. A sweet, resinous, incensey Snake Oil. I'm so glad I have an aged bottle to treasure now!! 5 out of 5

I received this amongst a soul-warming gift of impsies and chocolate (thanks to brit - you're the best! ). Without having read the notes, Siren's amber oil reminded me very strongly of Jalaine Patchouli, which is superfine patch, vanilla, and musk. (and, $90 for a teeny lil bottle...I only have a bitty sample of Jalaine). So, imagine my surprise to find out there isn't any patch in here! Hrrrrmmmmm.... I suppose it could be possible that patchouli isn't in there, but it's just so reminiscent of that pretty patch blend!....It must be the ginger and spicy night-blooming jasmine that lend the woodsy essence.... Anyway, Siren is very warm, and has a nice balance of vanilla to the ginger and jasmine. The apricot is in the background, thankfully, 'cause I don't personally like overly fruity scents (they go sour and rotten on me sometimes). This scent definitely matches its copper hue. It's warm without being sickeningly sweet, and woodsy without being harsh or obnoxious. Overall, this scent turns apricot into something soft and wearable and balanced on me, and I'm so glad it works!! From reading the reviews, Siren seems to be extremely sensitive to personal chemistry and not everyone falls in love the way I have. I feel so lucky! I mean, it's just so gorgeous! And as I sit here writing, I am falling deeper and deeper into the abyss, and I'm Odysseus and these singing wenches are making me crazy and I'm letting them 'cause they smell so damn good and I don't care if they wrap me up in their horrid arms forever! I'll be hanging on to this little chica for sure, tentatively seeking a bottle as well.... Siren is a work of art. Nuff said.