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Permanent.Black.Ink.

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Everything posted by Permanent.Black.Ink.

  1. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Chimera

    I liked this wet when the cinnamon was coming through strong in a Big Red way, but on dry down the honeysuckle and copal took it to a kind of indolic place, since there wasn't anything sharp, really, to balance it out. It just isn't a match for me, which is a shame because I love cinnamon and myrrh.
  2. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Circe Invidiosa

    I got this one as a decant. In the vial, the pear is very dominant, and I get some undertones of the white florals. I had very high hopes; I don't have many pear- forward bpal. wet on skin, the pear gets eaten up by salt and moss drying down the white florals are coming back around...what a walk this takes me on. It's a soft one, very low throw although it will hang tight through the day, sweet and subtle. This one has been fun to follow as an imp but I'm unlikely to invest in a full bottle; it's a very low throw and ends up being pretty generic white florals.
  3. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Buns

    This one is truth in advertising-- it smells like home baked pumpkin spiced cinnamon buns in the bottle, wet on skin, on dry down. The notes link elbows and march together. Medium/ high throw, lasts 5 or 6 hours pretty strongly.
  4. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Utter Sophistication

    In the bottle and wet on skin the popcorn was really forward, I found that it dried off in about 10 minutes and the vanilla & beeswax stick around with *just a bit* of snake oil lurking. If you have tried Snake's Kiss, I found this one to be quite similar but without the buttercream note. I don't get any lavender or wood from this.
  5. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Jasmine Cottage

    I hunted this down as an imp because I wasn't convinced to blind bottle. It took me on a journey. In vial: seems astringent and green, which was pretty surprising. Wet on skin: passing hint of orange, wisteria & heather comes out pretty strong Dry on skin after about an hour: this one ended up going the route of most aquatics for me, which was really unexpected. After an hour or so it seems like dryer sheets.
  6. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Brisingamen

    I love carnation and I keep trying with blends that list it, but I have to recognize that ambers do not work on me. Enough about me, though-- here's the thing; if you DO like amber(s), this will be a multi-layered and interesting scent that ultimately dries down to the apple blossom & carnation...so, a little spicy & dusty, a little floral, sweet, and I found the amber stuck to the end.
  7. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Port-Au-Prince

    I wasn't sure about this one based on the scent notes; I felt I like it was going to head in a direction soon after application that smelled like I had put on my grandad's Old Spice. I'm super glad I got an imp and decided to give it a try--the almond and clove working together with that sassafras to mellow things out is so alluring and unexpected. It's got a low throw and 6-8 hours of wear before it's pretty hard to read even with nose to skin.
  8. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Fire of Love

    I'm seeing a lot of reviews referencing wood notes, and smokey notes, and I didn't get ANY of that. I tried an imp and it was a lovely little floral with some notes that were kind of hard to distinguish, maybe tea rose? Maybe hyssop? Might be important to note that I identify as Ace and take an SSRI, so may not be the target demo for this one.
  9. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    The Coiled Serpent

    I got this as an imp and tried it on my wrists, so maybe I am doing it wrong, but I got a raw, has no chill patchouli. Getting whiffs of myself as I was walking around it was nice as a deep note, but pretty overwhelming trying to sniff closer to the wrists.
  10. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Cinnamon Chai Cupcake

    This goes through an interesting metamorphosis: In bottle: leans way into raw batter smell. I was pretty nervous about trying it; that's too much for me. Wet on skin: the batter smell dries off in the first 10 minutes and the cinnamon starts coming forward very strongly, but the throw is still pretty low. Dry on skin: After about an hour the chai and vanilla really develop and give this blend some medium throw, as well we interact with the cinnamon for a warmly blended gourmand. The wet batter smell has changed to an subtle, actual cupcake undertone. It's not one I'll reach for all the time, but it's definitely interesting.
  11. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Spiced Rum Buttercream Coffee

    In the bottle: The buttercream is quite strong, with big coffee under it. Wet on skin: there's the booze. That's rum and coffee. On dry down: Ok, the rum dries off pretty quick, and the coffee tempers the cardamom and spices can come up. This reminds me of a yule--it's quite Christmas-y. The booziness goes away after 5-10 minutes, so don't worry about walking around smelling like there's something extra in your morning cuppa.
  12. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Rose Quartz Bedroom

    Someone else said this is the essence of pink, and I would tend to agree. If some other rose blends are difficult for you to wear, this one is worth a try and may behave. Usually saffron can't help but make itself known when it's in a blend on my skin, (hello! it's me! it's saffron!) but in this case it was just staying in it's own lane. It's a well balance scent, but overall much closer (in my opinion) to many floral offerings out there from the big commercial houses and not the experience I come to BPAL for.
  13. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Peanut

    If you pull for gourmands, this will be a solid addition to your collection. It 100% smells like a warm, nutty dessert drizzled in honey. I wish the Lab had released this as a candle or home fragrance because this is just the most warm, inviting blend, and I totally want my house to smell this way.
  14. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Le Serpent Qui Danse

    This tracks hard into dish soap on short order, which I believe is the violet taking over. There's some vanilla that comes out around hour hour, but it's a real peripheral thing; kind of like trying to look at an eclipse.
  15. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    High-Strung Daisies

    Received as an aged imp. In vial: there's a bit of spice you usually get with most green scents, but it's toned down with creaminess. On skin, wet: this is baby soft, sweet, and a little floral. Dry on skin: The sugar is apparent, and the carnation gives just a tiny bit of spice. I get vanilla now--the most mellow gourmand leaning floral. It has zero throw on me; I gotta get my nose right on the skin to sort out what's going on.
  16. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    The Sea Foams Milk

    This is a gentler aquatic blend for me, which are generally not something I reach for because they ramp up like lightning strikes on me. A couple people have thrown out dryer sheet or Dove soap comparisons, and I would say those are pretty apt. This would great for long distance travel when you just want to feel fresh and clean.
  17. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Hunger

    I got this one as an aged imp. In the vial: hits you like a really dark red wine--smells something like darkest chocolate or tannins with some fruit lingering just on end of the sip wet on skin: this didn't meet expectation. It's acrid. It kind of smells like burning. Maybe there is a leather note? Dry Down: I got some low throw vanilla a few hours in, but this would not be worth the long walk through burning tires for me to get there. It seems like there is a small minority of people whose skin chemistry just take the blend this way based on past reviews; I would recommend getting a tester first before committing to a bottle.
  18. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    The Gibbous Moon

    Wet on skin I get the lily, but this one quickly becomes "crisp, clean laundry" scent in a traditional kind of way. The cucumber and aquatic notes take over and it's really not a floral blend at all for me after dry down. The notes do not morph very much at all and it's very long wearing with medium throw; this would be a good one for someplace where you may anticipate being around hot or grimy people. I'd caution against going into an office environment or social situation with this one before you have tested it because it may ramp up and those aquatic notes can hit some people hard.
  19. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    There Is No Bliss Like This

    Super carnation and clove- forward with a big throw and long wear length. One of my favorites, although it can be hard for me to find an occasion for it during the long Central FL summers. This is a scent truly made for chunky knit sweaters or nights in flannel sheets. But I am not giving it up; if you love clove or carnation, this will become one of your top tier lovelies; sometimes I just like to open it up and smell it for the sake of it.
  20. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Sugar Skull

    I recently snagged (in 2020) a decant from 2007, and I will tell you that while the reviewers who got their scents new seem to consistently say "this kid's a screamer" I gotta let you know that aging it seems to diminish the strength...? Maybe it's because I have a decant, not a full bottle. In any case, my 10+ year vintage has mellowed to a pretty discreet hazelnut & cinnamon blend. The fruits are barely there as a sweet undertone. I'm trying the new 2020 Sugar Skull just to compare, but this is a pretty standard autumn gourmand with no standout notes; I definitely wouldn't recommend going out of your way to hunt for aged ones if that's your jam.
  21. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    White Sandalwood and Clove

    This smells like a clove cigarette without the acridness of the smoke. I don't get much of the sandalwood (maybe just to smooth it out) so as some others have mentioned, if you have a blend you would like to get a little more clove in, this would be a perfect complement to layer.
  22. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Champa & Myrrh

    This smells like any/ every Nag Champa incense you've burned, and it throws like an olympic athlete. It's one of my favorites in its simplicity and familiarity.
  23. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Snakes in the Lemon Tree

    So far this has really bummed me out. When I got it in the mail, I made the mistake of smelling it right away (don't do that) and it had this sharp, resinous quality I wasn't prepared for at all. I let it sit a few days, a week, and it mellows out--the lemon filters up. So ok, it's time for a skin test. Wet on skin: The lemon is sitting on top of the vetiver, and the snake oil is just globbed at the bottom. It's the aromatic equivalent of those barometric thermometers. Dry on skin: The lemon has gone, and it smells like a vintage men's cologne. I am going to let this one sit for about six months before I try it again.
  24. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    Reapers Gonna Reap

    This was a low throw musk--some of my scents are just not going to work in an office environment because they amp so much, but this one cooperates. After about an hour I get a "play doh" vibe, but I don't mean that as an insult; I like that smell of play doh.
  25. Permanent.Black.Ink.

    The Great Virgo Baking Show

    As some others have mentioned, I don't get "this is a pecan pie" note, but to be fair I think that's kind of a moving target. It's a big throw, sweet gourmand that's long wearing very well balanced--you get the nuttiness, the cinnamon, the butter, the vanilla, but nothing is fighting each other. As a side note, it is also a good layering blend for other "gourmand adjacent" blends that you'd find in the Weenies.
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