Ennikar

Reading the reviews above, I had one major concern before picking up a bottle (secondhand): is this gonna be soap? Like WhatAHoot, I can be very sensitive to 'clean' or 'detergent' vibes, which has cursed my aquatic hunt for years. Wet on skin, the answer appeared to be "yes, but also you're miraculously not mad about it". The first impression was almost like soap, yes, but like the more "masculine" scented soap I can sometimes tolerate - probably the bay leaf, tobacco, and/or balsam, which are popular components for those types of smells. Kinda clean-herbal. Still, that would have put it in "okay" rather than love or even like. The fig is here, adding some fruity sweetness, but overall still on the dry side. As it dries, though, the floral elements of the tobacco flower, the ambergris, and the amber start to come forward - and here it's giving, of all things, To a Wreath of Snow, minus the vanilliac/pseudo-gourmand elements that scent carries. Now it's basically dry and the bay, fig, ambergris, and tobacco flower are making a light clean-skin unisex-to-masc cloud. I'm excited, honestly, because most of the masc scents I love are on the spicy-resins side and can be just too heavy for warm weather, but I think this one is going to shine.

I had no idea what to expect with this one, given 'white sandalwood' is the only note with a real point of reference, but I was a little concerned about things like 'perfumed black silk' going soap, clean-linen, or dryer-sheet. What I actually got wasn't exactly that, though tones of it are there. I believe the 'perfume' referenced in the description is iris (or orris) , and for me this ends up as a cool musky iris-sandalwood blend. The blood is more an iron-y version pulling things in that 'cool' direction, not the sweet red 'blood musk' I've gotten in some other BPAL blends. Reminds me of Alkemia's Black Iris, but less 'rainy' and more musky cool night air. I get the 'classic perfume with foreboding undertones' intent, though I'm not sure someone else smelling it without the description would get any of the 'foreboding' aspect - my beta tester described it as 'light. It seems fruity, but I'm pretty sure it's actually floral. I like it.' I like it too, though I think it's a situational pick.

60% clove, 30% cinnamon, 10% ashes and (green) poisons. Neutral sweetness level. Pretty good throw when you first apply it, and then moderate for several hours. I, a nonsmoker, imagine that in a perfect world clove cigarettes would smell like this.

Firstly, a wave of sweet resins, and then a second wave of woodsmoke and brown musk. The woodsmoke is strong, as is the musk, and they have very high throw when first applied. I actually forgot it had a woodsmoke note when I first applied it and expected only musk and resin, but the smoke was strong and distinct enough that after a moment I was very sure that was what I was smelling. As it settles, it's giving like... guy wearing an old bearskin who lives in a cave where his fire is always burning, but like, idealized enough to not be "stinky". I can see it being very sexy or else offputting, depending on your tolerances. Normally I'm not too concerned with wearability, but this one tests that, since the musk is the sort that's somewhere between "animal", "sexy", and "dude who hasn't showered in a couple days" and I don't want anyone to question my hygiene. For that reason, it may be too situational to buy a bottle even though I enjoy it. I can also see some of the acrid/vingear-y tones and the bbq sauce comparison, though personally I didn't find these aspects strong or distracting. Also a couple notes on the oil itself - it's the darkest, most viscous perfume oil I've ever tried. This stuff left a yellow-brown sheen on my skin for nearly an hour after being applied, even though it was just a wandcap's worth spread over my wrist.

I like this Raven. Retested it after sitting for a year or so, and I get the patchouli, alongside a variety of other notes. This is not a warm, snugly, or dank patchouli, though; if asked to guess the notes I would describe it as cool, fresh water, black pepper, and a patchouli base. Decent throw and wear length, the patchouli gets less identifiable over time but I would not describe it as a big morpher. As of now, it's not a bottle upgrade, but it's a mood.

Fresh on, this is a tropical white floral with a swirl of spices. The creamy coconut seems to be combining with something in an interesting fashion, because I'm getting a very... banana impression. The cardamom and jasmine are here with the coconut milk, and at this stage it's very soft and pretty. In the drydown I expected more resins, but lo, it was not to be. Instead the jasmine, coconut milk, and maybe rosewater stick around and make a light sweet-floral haze. The resins never really came out for me, which is a shame because I love resins, but if you prefer lighter and airier vibes this might be for you. There are a couple other blends this reminds me of. When it first goes on, it seems a lot like Rabbit Moon 2021, and the drydown reminds me of Tomie - possibly because I tested Tomie recently.

One of the early reviews talks about "cuddly patchouli" and I would agree. This patch smells warm and "fuzzy", and stands in contrast to the other patchoulis I've tried, which have tended towards either gnarly atmospherics or very "sugared" and slightly floral blends. The other notes are here and add to the warm-fuzzy vibe, but to me this is "about" the patchouli. It's very comfy and I'm happy to have it - might try layering it, especially with spicier scents, just for fun. Other opinions: one of my betas, who has stated that he doesn't care for patchouli, described it as "very pleasant in the bottle" - though for the record I've long suspected that his thing is less not liking patchouli and more having had a bad experience with certain flavors thereof.

Overall, Tomie is nice, light, and pretty. If pressed on notes, I would say vanilla and jasmine (gentle and soft, not remotely indolic), and looking at the list I can also pick out almond blossom. The rose/sandalwood seems quiet, and the white amber is blending in nicely. It's got decent throw, but nothing intrusive, and it's more "clean" than "dirty" but not in danger of smelling like detergent. ...however, I'd agree with the comparisons to more mainstream scents. It's Perfectly Lovely, but it makes little impression on me, which might be a good interpretation of the character. I'm not disappointed, though, because I got this as a gift for a younger person who likes the books and I feel like edgy-association-but-Nice-smell is very much up their alley.

Maybe I was primed by previous reviews, but this reads as lavender shampoo to me - maybe with some other herbal scent components thrown in for flavor. Less aggressively soapy after the first few minutes. Maybe not bad if that's your thing, but it's a no-thanks from me. Other opinions, more for flavor than anything as neither of them agree with me or each other At All: "Spicy. Spicy... water?" "None for me... something about it reminds me of an old folk's home. I feel like I'm getting a tiny bit of formaldehyde?" (the latter was off a bottle sniff)

I was hoping for a rosewood/resin/beeswax blend with a dark musk and that sort of happened. Definitely beeswax happened and it sticks around from application to late drydown, so that's nice. However, the intermediary stages are a bit of a trip... something in there is sharp and powdery in a way I don't really enjoy, and I think it would prevent me from reaching for this over other "masc" or beeswax scents. On the other hand, that does make it lighter than the very warm/spicy/resin-y masc scents I prefer (I love the rosewood and musk in Fenris Wolf, for example), so if you're interested in that it might be worth trying.

I was hoping for rose and resins, but a week out of the mail this one seems really just reminds me of vetiver. Frankincense and I don't always get along, so maybe that's the culprit.

In the bottle, I didn't think I was going to like this as much as previous reviewers - myrrh and I don't always get along, and it smelled cola-y in the bottle. On skin, though, it really opened up, and I got labdanum with an undercurrent of black musk. Not really "dry" or bitter, but not sweet either; the cola impression subsides quickly. Rose is usually a top note for me, but with this one the rose actually got stronger over time and stuck around for hours, tangled up with dark incense-y resins. That's the clinical description, but I don't know that it captures how good this blend is. When I've been disappointed by other "dark" resins, this is what I was imagining. I've tried other rose blends and found them discordant or unbalanced (which is why my other preferred roses are essentially single-note), but this harmonizes. This one is an absolute monster in both throw and longevity. At first it didn't seem that strong, but after a few minutes I realized that someone a few feet away could smell it (a real rarity for them and oils), that remained the case for several hours, and I picked up whiffs all day. Fortunately most people seem to like it, but I'll be careful with it on transit/in enclosed spaces. Both my usual betas commented that it was a) strong and b) good. Both of them picked up on the rose aspect, one of them thought there might be some vanilla floating around. I don't really do backup bottles (have bought one in years of indies), but with this... it's a possibility.

This is an odd one - very difficult to describe. I do get a "cool" impression... other words that come to mind are "round" and "watery". I think I can pick up the white oud? Maybe ti leaf? The other notes combine in a way that that reminds me of leather. It's well-blended, in that I don't get distinct vanilla or sandalwood but believe they're here. Throw and longevity are pretty lab-typical. While I can see the love for it, so far it does not compel me. Might retest later and/or try it on a friend who has an affection for leather notes and seemed interested in the bottle sniff.

Of the lavender scents I've tried, this is one of my favorites. I like the smell of fresh lavender, but usually find it too "clean" as a perfume component; it often evokes laundry or fabric softener. I was particularly worried about this possibility with Wreath, given it also contains ambergris, which I sometimes like but can have a similar effect. Here, though, it's almost juicy, or creamy... "lush" and "rich" also come to mind. Very different from other lavender notes I've tried, in a way I enjoy but that also might make it less recognizable to others. I'm not familiar enough with tobacco flower to pick it out, but as it dries down, I can get the ambergris and oud. Decent throw for the fist couple hours, then dries down more intimate. All the notes are still around, though, which is nice - and again, unusual for a lavender scent. Other opinions: "fruity" in the bottle, then "Vanilla? still a little fruity." ("Lavender?") "Yeah, I buy that."

Agree with above that Paladin is a very mild scent. On top of that, white musk and I usually don't get along, and that holds here - altogether too clean for me. I do also get some leather, and maybe hints of the other notes. If you like mild, clean, leathery scents this may be your thing. ETA: After the first hour or so, I do catch some drydown wafts every so often, and now it's more of a clean skin musk - still not my favorite, but I may actually reach for it under my-skin-but-better circumstances.

Cinnamon/cassia ahead and above all other notes. After a couple minutes I can see it as a dry spice cabinet scent or an unbrewed chai, definitely not a baked-goods or sweet-milky-chai type spice, but still mostly cinnamon. Maybe a bit less cinnamon and a bit more sandalwood in drydown. Decent throw for an hour or so, then ~4 hours as a skin scent. I'm keeping my imp, and and will probably use it mostly for layering.

Just got a bottle and it seems to have held up well. Mostly spices - the lab's warm clove note stands out in particular. The bay isn't super strong, and the rum isn't really boozy but is a bit sweet (though less so than the really sweet buttery candy rum in Grog). Together, it reads as a spiced amber and bay rum. As the reviewer above notes, though, it's got decent initial throw but fades to light skin scent really fast. While it's very pleasant, I don't think I'm going to keep it, since it overlaps with other BPAL blends but is much milder and I tend to prefer "stronger" oils.

First application is delightfully forest-y - trees and herbs and, yes, cold (minty-cold, but not overpoweringly Mint) with a bit of dark musk on the bottom. The trees don't stick around too long, unfortunately, and afterwards it's mostly wool/musk. This is not a clean-laundry musk, it's more animalic and (based on my limited research) can actually come across as incense-y. Late in the drydown, it's almost like a dark patchouli... maybe that's the spikenard? It has decent throw and lasts a good while, but after the first hour or two it reminds me of an old, lived-in wooden house where someone periodically burns incense, and maybe the occupant is an unusually hygienic goat has an old wool coat they haven't washed this year hanging up to dry. On the whole, not sure how I feel about it, and may revisit it after it sits longer.

In the bottle, it's soft and spicy, with a detectable note of cacao. Fresh on skin, I get quite a lot of cacao, and something that's reminded me of white florals - though to be fair, I usually avoid chocolate notes in all their forms. Here, the cacao (ect) is dark, unsweetened, and feels similar to coffee. As it dries, the chocolate vibe becomes less identifiable and intense, and it's more just a warm, musky, slightly spicy haze. Other opinions: "That smells really familiar, but I can't place it." ("Coco powder?") "Yes. Definitely." Once again, not always helpful to compare to other blends, but this does remind me of Rabbit Moon 2021 - but with the cacao, it's a little darker and feels more mischievous relative to the "prettier" Rabbit.

Bottle purchased 2023. In the bottle, this smells very "tasty" - warm spices and vanilla. Excited to try it. My second nose said he got straight wafflecone, then some spices, for a very dessert-ish impression. Unfortunately, on application it does not work for me. Fades very quickly, and while the drydown is still a spicy-vanilla, it's quite faint. I wouldn't describe it as "gourmand", even though it's on the sweeter end, more a clean cinnamon-vanilla situation. I imagine it'd be liked more by someone who prefers closer scents, maybe grown-up warm vanilla. I've tried straight snake oil, and while I do pick up on some of its influence here, it seems very toned down.

Very spicy, dry, and a little sweet in the drydown. It sounds like my impressions are a little different from most of the previous reviewers. For me, the caraway comes through primarily in giving the whole thing a "spiced bread" vibe, but the star is the cardamom. I say spiced bread, but that's more an impression, there's nothing else "yeasty" going on and it's not sweet in a way that would suggest pastry. I suppose I'd agree that if anything, it's sour/bitter, but in a good way - not like BO or spoiled food. Sandalwood is here, too, but stronger in the drydown, when it becomes a sweeter-spicy-sandalwood. Other impressions: (in the bottle) "Something really spicy - cinnamon, I think? Ginger? I guess it could be cardamom, but I think cinnamon." ("It's cardamom, and caraway." "Caraway! That explains it.") A keeper for me. It's not super complicated, but it's spicy and a bit woody without really being gourmand, and that's my jam. I imagine it would also be a good layer.

In the bottle and fresh on skin, this is a big hit of lavender. Fresh on skin, it's lavender with sugared patchouli, and that patch is going somewhere a little eyebrow-raising - as other reviews have noticed, the opening is a bit "assy". YMMV, though, neither of my other sniffers have noticed that. The stank sticks for a bit, but fades over time; unfortunately the lavender does as well though it lasts a little longer. The late drydown still has some earthy patchouli, and by then the vanilla has come out more, so it's a nice sweetened patchouli. The spikenard could be there in any phase, tangled with the patch; I'm not knowledgeable to pick it up on its own. Oakmoss and balsam have been questionable for me in the past, giving things an awkward soapy feel, but that's definitely not happening here (I can't say for sure I smell either). Other impressions: one person smelled it a few minutes application and said it was "Pretty neutral. Nice, but not like "wow", you know?", and another smelled it in the drydown and gave me "Vanilla." ("So... good?" "Yeah."). These aren't super in-depth, but it does make me think that the questionable tones I'm picking up aren't offensive to most people. Will I keep it? For now. I reapplied several times over the course of the day, which is not true for everything I test, so I think I'll age it a bit and see how it feels. I'd really like the lavender to stick around longer. I kind of hesitate to compare to other blends, since I know that's not very useful to most people, but there are a few BPALs this reminds me of. The sweet-patchouli drydown smells like Nasty Woman to me, though that blend has rose (via the loukhum) instead of lavender, and the opening reminds me of Of The Unicorn for that stanky vibe that takes it to a place where I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Last things first, Clémence is an absolute monster; it stuck around from late morning (around 11) to five with strong throw, at which point I took a quick post-workout shower, and discovered to my surprise that it was still around. It has now persisted until ten at night with a couple inches of throw. As other reviews have said, fresh on skin it gives a dirty, earthy, patch and very little else. "Wonderful", I think, "I kinda miss the other notes, but as of now this is the no-nonsense unsweetened patchouli (and pepper?) I've been searching for." For better or worse, that stage doesn't last. I wouldn't say the patch totally disappears, but it becomes much less prominent, and leaves space for the other notes to breathe. The tea and clove/carnation take over after a few minutes and it stays there for the rest of the wear, a spicy-floral tea scent. These are all notes I like, so I was ready to bottle it, but after a few hours of wear something felt a little cloying. I plan to try it again with a more delicate hand, but it's possible my decant will be enough.

I've been looking for a good, earthy licorice scent for a while with little success, and at first I passed over this one assuming the taffy would make it too sweet. In the bottle and freshly applied, it's a sweet licorice taffy, but for me the taffy burns off pretty quickly leaving a lightly sweetened woody licorice. It's somehow dark and earthy while simultaneously feeling airy and light (as a vibe, not a real scent component, nothing here is remotely aldehydic). The licorice/anise sticks around for quite a while, which I always appreciate. The throw is decent and the longevity is quite good. New go-to licoranise~

I knew this one was a risk going in, but I enjoy vetiver, was curious about the petitgrain, and really like the bottle art. The bottle sniff caused me to put testing off for a while; there was something sharp and borderline soapy. Upon application, it's much less loud, but definitely still very clean. Reminds me of nothing so much as a very fancy citrus-scented soap, probably as a confluence of the petitgrain and the champaca. The vetiver and oakmoss might be present as backing notes, while the ashes aren't really perceptible. Overall, this won't kill my interest in any one of these notes, but while nice it's sadly too clean for my taste.