Ennikar

Pepper, sandalwood, and smoke sounded great, and ambergris + silk are hit or miss, so I gave this veil a shot. Most of the throw comes in the form of that charred/peppery sandalwood, which I found really enjoyable -- though when I gave it a more concentrated, up-close sniff I found some "soapy" or "sharp" dimensions, maybe from the ambergris + silk. It's a fairly soft scent, work-appropriate and inoffensive, though it does give the impression that there's something "more" under that carapace. Feels like something I would grab if I wasn't sure whether or not to wear perfume. I like it, but wasn't sure when I'd take it over spicier/stronger/more masc options (personal preference). Then it came to me: summer-appropriate incense. By being less strong and "warm" it becomes a sandalwood option that isn't stifling in warm weather, which is nice to have. Partner's take: "Good. Like a mainstream perfume, but less pretentious?" (not surprising given the ambergris + sandalwood)

Impressively consistent from application to drydown: black musk (a little animalic but in a wearable "perfume-y" kind of way), washed with roses, a touch of black currant that isn't so much a distinctive component as a little touch of tart fruit. I don't mind that, as fruit scents can often pull too sweet on me, but agree with previous reviews that this is more for the rose + musk/velvet lovers. The black musk is a little incense-y but less masculine than I've seen it in other blends; I wouldn't mind either way but personally read this as femme to unisex. I don't know if the rose is "supporting", per se, but would say that it's been transformed by the musk to read less as its own thing, a transformation that goes both ways. It's less rose + velvety black musk and more a black velvet rose musk, if that makes sense. It does also remind me a bit of a rose black tea. Strong throw, good longevity relative to other oils. After all the mentions of black must + rose, I was worries this might be redundant with "Divinities Implacable, Doom-Laden" (rose, black musk, myrrh, labdanum), but this is not so. The black musk here is less "inky" and carried by BPAL's textile note; the velvet seems very reminiscent of the silk note found in other blends, and it lacks the rich resinous components that make Divinities what it is. As a lover of those resins, I prefer Divinities, but might keep Mircalla too as its own enjoyably goth-y black rose blend.

The bottle sniff on this one was so absolutely not what I expected I had to test it first (fortunately it settled more like the notes). Specifically, in the bottle I got a blast of vegetal peppers, an impression my partner seconded. Fresh on the skin, it seems that "fresh hot peppers" smell was a funky neroli, which even minutes after application becomes much softer and more in line with its usual bitter orange qualities, if still a little "green". By the end of an hour the greenness has mostly faded, neroli has retreated before a balanced rose and pomegranate, and if anything I'd consider it a pom-forward scent. As for the myrrh and frankincense, they're pretty quiet if not outright MIA. This is a tart-sweet pomegranate with a wash of rosey florals. Soft throw.

Citrus, red musk, red amber, honey, pepper: all notes that I often enjoy. Champaca isn't usually a dealbreaker, and can be nice, so I wasn't expecting any issues with Fire Poppy. And yet! The drydown is a pleasant honeyed citrus, but there's something in it (strongest early but doesn't seem to fully recede) I don't get along with well -- something that will probably make it more appealing for most wearers. It reminds me a bit of the nose-tickle I get from white musks and white ambers, a tone I usually describe as "clean". The sum is citrus, a touch of honey-sweetness, and an impression of both warmth and cleanliness. To borrow from an earlier reviewer, it's a "watercolor" vision of the subject.

I went back and forth on trying this one; it's full of notes I sometimes like but sometimes find too powdery, soapy, or, well, boring. When I first opened the bottle, I was optimistic: the magnolia (+) is coming on as a dewy fresh white floral. On skin, the other florals come out more and balance each other; it's very pretty and while it could be a (nice) soap-scent it does not itself smell like soap, though it threatens to as it dries down. I assume the ambergris is doing some "classic perfume" work, but I don't really smell it. A very soft, non-threatening, slightly melancholy sort of femme. As far as other BPALs, it reminds me of The Lady of Saintonge, but with more florals and 'perfumey' notes instead of the earthy notes and sandalwood. Personally, I might prefer that scent, and will ponder whether to keep both.

Corvissa surprised me, even though it's in line with what I should have expected from previous reviews. This is not a smooth amber with cool metallic topping. Instead, it's bright and almost cola-esque, a very different sort of 'shiny'. Very resinous, but in a way that comes across as somehow bright and sparkly? The 'fossilized amber' feeds into that impression; it feels more 'prickly' or maybe dusty than other sorts of amber and is the same as that in Troubled By Revenants from the Carmilla collection. Frankincense can be kinda weird to me, but this one isn't giving baby powder. As far as other BPALs, this reminds me of a much-less-spicy, slightly-less-sticky-sweet version of Gnome's ginger ale. Upd8: Wore this again, and realized that after a few hours it's quite similar to the sort of drydowns I usually get from black amber and black musk heavy blends (which, fortunately, I like); I might see how it layers with a few of those.

2024 version. As above, I found the opening to be really reminiscent of citrus candies, those free orange suckers I used to get when my parents went to the bank. As it dries, it gets more musky, less candied, and just a tiny bit floral. The citrus notes stick around for a good while, which is nice, but I can be picky with citrus smells and this one is a little too lollipop for me.

2024 version. This reminded me very strongly of a Christmas candle, specifically, Thymes Frasier Fir. It opens with a juicy fir smell, then I start to get some bayberry (a little sweet, a little peppery). It's not sharp (I would even say it's "round", for whatever that gives you) and it's quite nice, somewhere between a realistic forest and a fairy tale. However, I'm not sure whether I'll wear it, because it just reminds me so strongly of that specific candle.

This one starts off soft, but I caught regular whiffs of it for several hours. It hits the nail on the head for me; a little smoke, a little soot, and a pool of wax. I suppose it could be seen as sweet in the way that beeswax is, but this candle is unscented. I had a few friends sniff it for funsies and none of them "got it" (not surprising to me, it's a pretty niche smell), but one of them found it "untrustworthy" and "definitely not something you should eat". I did compare it to Endless Corridors because I'm not sure I need both. The vetiver in Corridors gives it significantly more strength, especially in the opening. The drydowns are pretty similar. The smoke/soot in Guttering Candle is stronger through the entire wear, and it's definitely more "atmospheric" just by virtue of being such a good portrayal of that smell.

2012 version. I get mostly honey -- a dirty, kinda animalic honey. After reading the reviews, I can see the red musk and the patchouli, definitely more in the animalic/woody direction than spicy, but always with that big shot of honey hanging over it. It's sweetened but not sugar-sweet, a little dry and prickly. Also: monster throw for hours, and quite good longevity. In general I prefer strong throw, so I appreciate this, but I'd be careful with it in enclosed spaces.

2017 imp from a generous swapper I went into this test fully prepared not to like Sanctus because lily notes almost always make me think of bathroom powder or soap, "celestial musk" seemed likely to be similar to white musk which does the same thing, and my relationship with frankincense depends mostly on its supporting players. It is indeed too "clean" for me to want to wear, but it surprised me a little bit because after the initial wet stage I could at least see why someone else would want to wear it. I've seen lots of references to 'lemony' frankincense but never smelled it myself, but I think that's what's happening in Sanctus. It becomes a lemon-fresh smell with light floral touches; I don't get much fruit but can see where that impression is coming from. It's a very light, ~nice~ scent, utterly inoffensive.

Gifted a frimp by a generous swapper. First applied, it's a warm and smooth tobacco. I had it in my head that there were industrial notes around, and with that suggestion I did get a light wood polish/oily vibe from it. As it dries the vanilla comes out more, and the 'black' aspect is rich-but-not-overly-sweet, blending well with the woods and tobacco. Smooth, warm, and polished enough vanilla dimension to keep it from being harsh or severe while staying far away from deserts. I liked this much more than I was prepared to. I'm deciding whether to pass it on or not, since I already have a number of scents I enjoy in this category, but given I went in to the test with a very cursory mindset that's still an achievement.

Average throw and longevity, but the woods are rich and pleasant, the amber is dry and warm, and the incense is slightly smokey but not at all harsh or acrid. Without looking at the notes, I thought there was rosewood in here (a good one too), but that was probably a combination of the cedar, mahogany, and amber. I enjoyed this one a lot, though it is firmly in my wheelhouse and if you don't get along with cedar or "traditionally masculine" woody blends you might not jive with it. Reminded me strongly of Solstice Scents' Library, for those of you that've tried that, though I couldn't do a side-by-side.

2013 version. Biiiiig, aggro vetiver up front. I like vetiver and all but for the first while, this is a strong not-quite-single note. As it dries down some other notes get a chance to peek out, and it becomes a vetiver-geranium (for those unfamiliar, bourbon geranium is kinda rosy and a little sharp) with a hint of spice and maybe some "outdoorsy" qualities. This does hit a certain tone, I think; despite the floral I would not describe it as femme but unisex and semi-atmospheric. If you smelled it on a person it might come across as like... a little otherworldly, someone who is for some reason only seen at night (less vampire, more spirit).

For people who have tried both: this is October + Talkvikuu. More October up front, more Talvikuu in the drydown. For people who have not: the opening is outdoorsy, like a cool breeze across leaf litter or brushing leaves off damp earth in fall. It's mostly cool, earthy, and dry, a touch sweet and a touch smokey. Octobrrr goes for a fall that is not just cool but frosty, and evokes this with a note that is not straight mint but bristles the nostrils in the same way. As it dries, the dry-earthy notes subside, and the main impression is that frosty-cool almost-menthol note (that for some reason reads as oily to me, but likely not to others). As far as the concept, I'd say it's realistic (but not photorealistic): more daring than a mainstream scent is likely to be and close to the real thing but not a perfect imitation.