hhelix

@Hesper Violet is one of my favorite notes and Beth has so many good ones. I looked back through my notes and several scents come to mind: 

The Raven: Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk

Nocturne: Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose

Morgause: night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses.

and I wonder if you could layer one of them with something like:

Incantation: vetiver, dark woods, crumbling and burnt black sandalwood and a drop of lemon rind.

Which imps did you get?

This is the smoother, hippie head-shop type of amber, not the fuzzy oriental perfume type of amber. The cardamom reads as cinnamon to my nose. Warm, spicy, modest throw, short lifespan. If you like The Lion, you'll probably enjoy this one.

This is very pretty. I can understand what all the fuss is about. The lavender gives a shout out, bright and fruity, in the opening. The middle phase is a sophisticated fuzzy gourmand perfume, and the late dry down turns vanilla plastic doll’s head, in a good way. This will probably age beautifully. Full bottle contender.

This oil has two phases: the initial powdery rose, followed by the resinous myrrh. It is fairly straightforward with no surprises. The two notes do not blend together but present very separately. Maybe aging will bring them together. Agree it would be good for layering. 

Snow White 2020

Respect to those who love this BPAL classic. I figured everyone should try it at least once, so I got a decant. On me, it's a skin chemistry fail. High pitched screechy white florals, laundry musk, and coconut. Sorry, Snow White. Glad I tried you, but you are not for me.

This was a surprise Yule hit for me. I am only starting to recognize the Lab's snow notes. To me, this is more the refreshing eucalyptus type snow, but with some sweetness. There is not a hint of Snow White's coconut snow to my nose. Starts off with a bright burst of chilled orange in the opening, then a long sweet musky dry down, orange-tinged and cuddly. Reminds me of a creamsicle (orange popsicle with a creamy center). It's happy, bright, and simple, a true mood elevator. 

This is my first time trying Midnight Mass, and it's the 2020 version. You want incense, this is your perfume. It’s really gorgeous, moody, sacred, meditative, smooth, grounded, solemn, timeless. Inhaling deeply causes eyes to roll back in head. It smells like rich fabrics and ancient wood soaked with centuries’ worth of incense smoke. Low throw, short wear length, but full bottle worthy none-the-less.

Wowza, this one’s a bombshell. The indolic jasmine is intoxicating when wet, then retreats and behaves on the dry down. The musk, tobacco, carnation and leather are discernible at one time or another, with the hay sugar and honey.playing supporting roles  The sandalwood is MIA. The dry down is a vintage treat, an old-school perfume that is eyes-rolling-back-in-head drop dead gorgeous. Must love heavy florientals to pull this off. Full bottle worthy and glad to support the cause.

This is one sexy wolf. I have a decant of Wolf Moon 2020 and the 2021 Wolf is a completely different scent. Last year's was very pine-forward. This year's is a warm sandalwood burnished by beeswax, which I thought was vanilla until I checked the notes. I get the grass and juniper when wet, but they quickly fade. The balsam and musk provide a soft cushion for the sandalwood to land. It is well-blended, smooth, masculine-leaning, nuzzle-worthy. OK, sorry for the cheez factor, but this is the scent Jacob from the Twilight Saga would have worn. 

This is my first TAL blend, and it does feel different than a perfume oil. It asks that you wear it with intention. I have been wearing it to sleep and have felt softly rebooted when I wake. This blend is soft, lasts a few hours on skin. The palo santo is prominent at first, tempered by a subtle sweetness (the nutmeg?). I don't sense the other notes distinctly, as they blend seamlessly to support the palo santo. The effect is indeed purifying, peaceful. Would be a good meditation oil. 

@gothteacup It's been a while since I've worn it, but my notes say it's an aldehydic floral with a lot of oudh. I'm guessing the aldehydes represent the steel, as in a cool, clean scent. I have tried other BPAL perfumes with a metal note (Berzerker), and I don't really sense the metal per se. Maybe there is a coldness, an edge, but it's very well blended with other notes. I would say if you are going to try Nevertheless, She Persisted, you must like oudh... The fecalness is getting stronger over time. I happen to love it, so I'm OK with that. Hope that helps!

Nevertheless, She Persisted from the activism series. 

This is more subtle than other DL scents I've tried. The creamy, sweet tuberose really balances out the sharp, cologne-y dead leaves note. The red currant makes it tart and sweet at the same time. It's almost like a Luper-blushed Dead Leaves blend. Medium throw and wear length. I only have a decant, but this one's bottle-worthy for me. 

This perfume is the best example of gender fuckery I have smelled. It is riveting, sexy, vintage and wicked. Anyone watch the HBO series Gentleman Jack? 

https://www.hbo.com/gentleman-jack

This is what Anne Lister would have worn.

But to describe the perfume: it's soapy, colgne-y, very wearable, with low throw. Someone would have to be nuzzling your neck to smell it. I get the lavender and bergamot the most, supported by a dapper moss/patchouli/tonka base. I believe this is in the family of historical perfumes called fougere, or fern-based fragrances. Well done, Elizabeth!

This is a beautiful, etherial, soapy, aquatic floral. It's well blended and difficult to pick out individual notes, but I do sense the aloe. Not what I usually reach for, but I'm glad to have it in my collection for those times when I need a peaceful, soothing, dreamy scent. Medium throw and long wear length.

2019's version. A year of aging has smoothed out the rough edges. Now it is delightfully playful, decadently sweet, and cheerfully festive. There is a Guerlain fruity violet perfume that I used to like, but it was unwearable because the projection was over the top to the point of being intrusive. This is a much more wearable violet. The dry-down has that powdery cosmetic note going on. In my synesthesic mind, this scent is all shades of purple, charcoal, and gold, with a few red berries tucked in here and there. It will be beautiful throughout the winter and into spring. 

Seconding a couple already mentioned -- Shub for sure is very holiday-esque with its yummy gourmand ginger warmth. Golden Priapus also is very wintery, like a more robust Lights of Men's Lives, more cabin in the snow glowing hearth smoke vibe.

This is yummy and oh so beautiful for the season. Starts out nutty and rich, then the oud wraps you in comfort… There is a whiff of bandaid, but that soon passes, and then it’s just handsome all the way through. Toward the end I sense patchouli and maybe even a little soapy oakmoss. I really love it. Not too sweet, but warm and sensual. Modest throw, average wear.

In the opening, I get the fruits, very red and purple and bright, almost screechy, like the bright fruit in Persephone. As it dries, a detergent note comes out, like the one in Snooty Rose (they share some notes: red sandalwood, dark fruits). I was not really enjoying it and regretting my full blind bottle purchase, but then the dry down. OMG. It somehow transformed into the most comforting, smoky, soft, powdery veil of resins and musk. I agree with HerbGirl about the red velvet. I am guessing the amber, ambrette seed, sandalwood and guiacwood come forward, and the fruit is only a sweet memory at this point. I’m keeping it for this stage. Decent throw and wear length.

@Laughing Seagull I love the Lab’s blood note! And I think I meant frankincense, not sandalwood, re: eclipse. 

I would also recommend Berzerker for a juniper note and it doesn’t seem to have any of your death notes (that I could tell). I love it and need to get a bottle of it for the name alone. For the wine/Dionysian vibe, I recommend Harvest Moon 2020. It’s divine. For a less complex, GC wine, I suggest Queen Alice, which is a lovely autumnal apple wine carnation scent. It’s on the sweet side though. Eclipse is a beautiful, soft, powdery heliotrope, but I can’t remember if you can do sandalwood. Also do set an imp that didn’t work aside for awhile and come back another time. In my experience, hormones and weather can drastically change my perception of a scent for good or ill. 

From the GC, can’t go wrong with No. 93 Engine for a lovely non-floral beeswax 🐝 

I agree with the recommendation for Death Cap, which is a mild earthy scent in the soil vein. I also love The Grave Pig, Nephilim and Deep in Earth. Vetiver and oakmoss in addition to patchouli are in a lot of earthy blends. 

This is so different from my usual heavier, darker scents. It's light, fun, youthful, fresh, and uplifting. The blueberry is prominent when wet, then retreats on drydown. The citrus is tangy, definitely more peel than fruit, which balances out the sweetness of the sugar. This is not a sweet, gourmand fragrance. It reads as white musk to me, though that's not a listed note. The tea is very subtle, just providing enough backbone to hold up the sugar and fruit. I really love it and am glad I blind bottled it. Medium throw and wear length. 

Glowing is the right word for this. Jack is a fairly simple scent, hearkening back to childhood or simpler times. It's peach cobbler, carving pumpkins, a warm fall day, cool candlelit nights, happiness and joy. Low throw, short to medium wear length. It's a great GC scent for the Samhain season.