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BPAL Madness!

donnaehm

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Everything posted by donnaehm

  1. donnaehm

    Malediction

    Goodness, I had no idea Malediction had such an infamous reputation! But that's okay, it has definitely found a home with me. <i>YES, YES, YES!</i> was my exact reaction when this hit my skin. A wonderful bloom of patchouli that dried down into a smoky cedar (someone earlier mentioned mesquite which is a great comparison). I agree with Llanval's comments above that Malediction is a deceptively simple combo and also a great scent for layering (which I love to do). This will be a bottle for sure.
  2. donnaehm

    Hunger

    In the bottle Oh dear, a vague plastic-y smell (insert brief traumatic flashback to Hades). Maybe a bit of a greenish note lurking around? Not off to a good start. On my skin Yep, plastic. I'm a bit shocked, actually, knowing the ingredients. Orange blossoms and vanilla would be right up my alley, so perhaps it's the narcissus that's causing all the trouble. Dry down Not a hint of orange at all, drat. It's all sharp plastic. This could be from the vanilla as I noticed a few reviews mentioning that it turned that way on their skin ('waxy' was a good descriptor someone mentioned). Other reviews noted 'powdery' which I can see. But on me it's definitely not a soft, pleasant smell but rather very sharp and acrid. Duration About three-quarters of the day. Verdict ❌ Nope. It's Hades-lite on me. Definitely a no-go.
  3. donnaehm

    Fighter

    In the bottle Hippie/head shop/patchouli! But also a touch of green wood that adds a bit of brightness. On my skin Hippie/head shop/patchouli! Dry down Hippie/head shop/patchouli! And I am - as the kids today say - here for it. I went back to the actual description and was delighted to see "leather" - sniffing the imp now it seems so obvious - because yes, that also tracks with the hippie vibe. I also liked the commentator up thread who made reference to 'salt'; I'd go with that, as well (and perhaps that's the "green" aspect I got from this, just that little something extra to dress up a familiar smell like leather). Duration A solid half-day. Very, very faint by evening. Verdict ✔️ Fighter will be a bottle purchase for sure. I found myself grinning while wearing this one. It's just plain fun to wear.
  4. donnaehm

    Half-Elf

    In the bottle Bitter, or something discordant, at any rate. There's a lot going on here, and I wasn't familiar with any of it (at least, not in this combination). On my skin Very clean and soapy which doesn't bode well as that effect tends to get very sharp on my skin. Dry down Initially it's nice but I'm prepared when the strength of it starts to amp up and hit some astringent notes. I can feel myself kind of scrunching up my face in a mildly annoyed 'Could you turn the music down a bit?' sort of way. The scent itself doesn't morph into anything else but the (by now) aggressively CLEAN blend. Duration All day, unfortunately. Verdict ❌ Too sharp, too strong, too much. No subtlety here, that's for sure.
  5. donnaehm

    Queen Alice

    In the bottle Definitely the alcohol notes, plus some of the floral (the posey notes, I'm thinking; not catching the spiciness of carnation). On my skin Ooooh, nice. The wetness and edge of the cider/wine gives way to a warm caramel/foody vibe. Dry down Elegant, warm, and soft. There's a wonderful gentleman's cologne vibe to this that I adore. I described a similar vibe with The Antikythera Mechanism as "elegant in a beautifully tailored three-piece suit way but with the top two shirt buttons undone". Here, the look is classic: silk tie shimmering around the collar of the shirt, pocket square tucked neatly into the jacket breast pocket, French cuffs. Duration This is an all day one on me. It even lingers into the next day. Clings well to scarves or sweaters. Verdict ✔️⭐ Queen Alice is gorgeous. The amber gives it a wonderful softness but there's also that masculine bit of edge to it which compliments and deepens the blend. "Spicy, creamy floral" from a previous comment sums it up nicely.
  6. donnaehm

    Hades

    In the bottle Candy? Something sweet, that's for sure. On my skin Poopy. No joke. To add insult to injury there's a plastic note that comes out closer to the skin (it will be no surprise, then, that my overwhelming mental image of this one is a diaper.) I'm just grateful it fades quickly after application. Dry down It's poopy diapers all the way down. Duration Lingers about half a day but I have to get close to smell it. (Narrator: she does not get close to smell it.) Verdict ❌ Never has a blend been more appropriately named because Hell would indeed be smelling (and smelling of) poopy diapers for eternity.
  7. donnaehm

    Baba Yaga

    In the bottle Wetness which is initially not encouraging as that tends to go generic white perfume on me. On my skin There's a burst of brown, like or - sniffing closer to my skin) dust. Then a floral scent comes out strongly. I love the dusty aspect to this. It plays nicely with the floral, toning it down but complimenting its sweetness. Dry down After about five or ten minutes, the whole scent is definitely fainter with the floral notes staying predominant and now developing a bit of a metallic edge to it. But because it's toned down overall, I don't find the floral overwhelming or unappealing. I just wish the dustiness had stayed longer. Duration About half a day, I thought, but on the particular day I tried it there was a resurgence of the scent in the late afternoon/early evening. The floral continued to lead the charge. Verdict ➖ I'm neutral on Baba Yaga. The stronger floral edges out the dusty counterpoint, unfortunately. It's still nice (and the mix of all the notes in the bottle is lovely) but that sharp metallic edge the floral develops when it hits my skin is not something I'm crazy about.
  8. donnaehm

    The Antikythera Mechanism

    In the bottle Soft vanilla balanced by the woodsy notes and a hint of the tobacco. On my skin Vanilla? A little something sharpish/metallic pops up (oh no!) but settles back down. It's there if I sniff closely but it seems to be adding just a bit of an edge that compliments the sweetness of the vanilla. It starts to turn cologne-y which is lovely. Dry down DEEPLY SEXY. Like, I want to wear just this and nothing else.The sweetness and softness of the vanilla is perfectly balanced by the woodsy notes. I love the masculine cologne-vibe. It's elegant in a beautifully tailored three-piece suit way but with the top two shirt buttons undone. Duration This is an all day one on me. Verdict ✔️⭐ The Antikythera Mechanism is an absolute keeper. Loved how this one made me feel when wearing it.
  9. donnaehm

    Im Tiefen Winter

    In the bottle A wet green with a hint of smoke On my skin A smoky brown immediately comes to prominence. After a minute or two the wet green insinuates itself to the fore. Dry down A mix of the wet green and smoky brown, with the green fading a bit into the background but still more predominant. The green gets softer as the scent wears and gradually everything mixes and settles into a soft sweetness. Duration This is an all day one on me. Verdict ✔️ Im Tiefen Winter felt so warm and cozy on my skin, and I loved how it also lightly scented my clothes. I found myself tucking my nose into the top of my sweater just to smell how it was mixed with the fabric. There was still a hint of it this morning when I picked the sweater up to put it in the basket. It put a little smile on my face. I do wish the smoky brown had stayed so forward as that is totally my jam but I'm happy with the scent nonetheless and glad I have a bottle. I agree with rhonorv that it has a cologne vibe to it.
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