skyturtles

(2006 version) I love this. It starts off as a dessert, but not too sweet. A dusty biscuit, old-fashioned yet a tried and true, comforting recipe. A pious grandmother makes sweets for the congregation after mass. It's dark, soft, and the fruitiness is not sharp... and as it dries down, the frankincense comes out to play. I love frankincense. Former Catholics everywhere, let's get nostalgic! This is a keeper for sure, and I'm glad I finally got a bottle.

This is such an interesting scent! There is a soft sweetness due to the coconut husk, almond milk, and bourbon vanilla. Like a delicate pastry at an elegant coffee shop deep in Tokyo. The roots, which I'm not very familiar with, add an earthiness that prevents the scent from being gourmand, and the white sandalwood is clean. Sandalwood usually turns me off but it is blended so well here. I'm glad I blind purchased this bottle; both my partner and I are fans! I also have The Divine Scientist from this series and I'm thinking I'd like to get my hands on more of them...

This is awesome! I think I was expecting something more herbal, but was pleasantly surprised with an ol' fashioned sassafras soda. My partner thinks they smell some sort of citrus in there, but I just get the fizziness. Uh oh, I'm kind of wanting a full bottle... To keep in my desk at work for when I need a pick me up!

I'm surprised that this doesn't have more reviews, to be honest. The cover art and the short story tempted me into purchasing a bottle from the lab. This scent is intense and not for everyday or everybody or every environment. I don't think I would like this as a room spray, or a soap, or anything else. I like to wear it when I ~go out~ to a bar or something, never to work. I get to smell enough bile and blood at work tbh, yet the incense and wine turn those otherwise potentially icky factors into something powerful. I think this is actually great for layering, especially with something a little sweet, or red musky. It goes well with Le Lethe, for example. Wear this and be feared for the nightmare goddess that you are.

Rose amber, frankincense, myrrh, champaca flower, Peru balsam, cistus, palisander, cananga, hyssop, and narcissus absolute. I get the frankincense and myrrh right away - I'm a big fan of frank, not so much of myrrh. The rosewood and rose amber bring a Indian-like vibe to this incense-y scent, as in, it reminds me of something that I've sniffed at the Indian grocer. The flowers come out to play over time while drying down. Honestly this is like a more complex version of Rose Cross, and less green. It's so close to being a winner for me, but just not quite there, probably due to myrrh or abundance of florals. Very interesting blend though! (Frimp from the lab - thanks labbies!)

Fresh from the lab frimp! The sandalwood is flowery; the honey is faint and not overpowering in its sweetness. I suppose this is a saffron-fronted scent. I don't hate it but I don't love it. Thanks labbies!

This is a fresh from the lab frimp! The grapefruit is immediately apparent. I wasn't sure what delpinium is before searching, so I can't speak much on that. There is definitely a floral note present, however. The red currant gives it just a bit of sweetness. The musk keeps it from smelling too much like a "cleaning" scent, if you know what I mean, though it probably could still fall into that category. It's a summer scent, I think. I am mildly repulsed by anything lavender scented, unfortunately, so I do not see the need for me to purchase a big bottle of this guy.

For fans of both sandalwood and rose, this would be a lovely scent. I myself am not a huge fan of either - sandalwood makes me feel dehydrated or something, and I think rose is best when paired with something fruity or sweet to contrast its own dryness. There is something mystical about this scent. I'm not very familiar with Indian notes in perfume so I cannot share anything in that arena. I don't think I'll be keeping this imp of unknown age, as I'm sure there are folks out there that would enjoy it more than I!

Out if the bottle it is sickly sweet, like vanilla syrup mixed with butter rum. Thankfully on my skin that stomach acid dies down and some spices help to ground that sugar. This is very pleasant actually! Quite nummy. Just a wee touch of embalming fluid. It seems to fade fast and doesn't linger too long. I'm gifting this to a friend and I hope she likes it!

I'm thankful for the forumite that saw this on my wishlist and gave me a free sniffy with my order. Thankful because now I will not spend money on something I don't love! Descent is very department-store-perfume-counter on me. There is a bit of fruitiness from the pom, true, but I think there's just too much going on with the florals and the resins and the musks and the peppers and in theory it sounds great, but in reality it's kind of overwhelming and sharp.

Bottle purchased from forum! Wet: Herbal, lavender-heavy, bitter. I don't much like lavender. I'm hoping this morphs soon. Dry: I can pick up a bit of the sweeter currant, but the lavender is still sharp and unpleasant. Not my favorite from this series!

Wet from the bottle, I pick up an antique rose untouched by dust. An elegant grandmother who used to be known as "duchess" before more sensible times. This is most likely in fact the orange blossom doing its magic with the myriad of fun notes here in Transeo. The slightest bit of cumin. A lingering dream of juniper. A warm yet refreshing bergamot. And behind it all.., blood & wine. I don't get any cinnamon from this, & also do not know what benzoin & gaiac wood smell like as single notes; therefore I cannot speak for their presence or lack thereof. I like this. It's complex but homey in a way. It's comfortable in that way that you have that one favorite tea that you can always count on to make you happy. It's sweater weather in a slightly masculine way. Winner!

Wet: It smells Middle-Eastern, or perhaps Arabian, with jasmine & amber & myrhh. Roses? It's getting more floral the more I wait. It started off sexy & bold but is softening down to a powdery, innocent seduction. This isn't my jam but it's an interesting, well-made blend, to start off with. Now it's just kind of a baby wipe scent. Lolita...? Lacey & racey? I'm done.

How have I not written a review for Rose Cross yet?? The imp of unknown age that I have has been getting a lot of love from me in the past couple of months. The first time I sniffed it, I was taken back to a winter over a decade ago spent as a very poor college student in frozen Norway. Something here reminds me of that time. Rose is quite hit or miss with me; in fact, I think this is the first rose-forward BPAL scent to be a winner with me. The frankincense is soft and not smokey. This is also the first GC bottle that I've purchased new from the lab. It is clean and soapy, yet churchy, and floral. It's a funeral mass for that old lady who just loved her pink roses.

I was hoping this would have a stronger frankincense base, but it is definitely a floral scent. The hint of musk keeps it from being toooo house cleaner in a spray bottle, but it definitely teases. I'm going to save this for the springtime and reassess. It's pleasant and office-friendly. Just perhaps too clean for me. I imagine this might be what Lestat smells like...

Not what I was expecting - this is nice! Wet, I get herby spices held together by a floral sweetness. I swear it makes sense and blends beautifully. I keep sniffing my wrist because everytime I do, I get something different.I agree with others' opinions on it being juicy, and also potpourri-esque. It is dry brush meets winter candle meets some herbs you just snipped from the garden. I think one of the reasons that I'm enjoying it so much is that there are a lot of notes here that you don't see very often. It's unique and different and fun. Yay! I do think this qualifies as a winter scent - not a snowy winter, but festive nonetheless. I'll want a bottle for next year methinks.

Wet on my skin: Wow, this is indeed sexy. There is sweetness, there is smokiness, there is musk gluing it all together, in a lusty syrup.. As it dries, an unfortunate leather note arises. It must be the oudh. I don't love it as much anymore. The sweetness is gone, replaced by something masculine & metallic & worn. For a moment I thought I might need a bottle, but that need has passed. Sigh.

My latest OLLA bottle; a much-appreciated gift from my partner's mother. Make your BPAL wishlists public, my friends! Wet on my skin: Woody and clean. Old and fresh. Warm and loved, but no nonsense. As it dries, some Catholic churchiness comes out. The smokiest of frankincenses and wooden pews with 40 year old cushions and leather kneelers that screech. This isn't the "I reject your lifestyle" side of church; this is the crack of dawn mass whose old and dusty attendees are there because they want to be, because they need it. This is bold and yet soft enough to wear at work (I work at a funeral home so maybe I'm biased?) My anti-religion, atheist partner likes this scent too so WIN-WIN.

Wet on my skin: Sweet red fruit. Definitely a sugary blend of strawberry and mango, like a smoothie from the mall. As it dries, the red musk says hello to add a tad of maturity and/or sexiness. It does not overpower. This fruitiness is not a usual choice for me, but I'm glad I'm getting out of my comfort zone and finding some other fun things for my rotation. I love strawberries, and this makes me smell like the candied variety that you find at Japanese matsuri. I also feeling like this is a warm-weather scent. I'll keep that it mind and reevaluate in the spring or summer.

From the imp of unknown age, I smell sweetness, which I was not expecting given the notes. Wet on my skin, this is lovely. It's spicy and sweet and dusty and metallic. Thankfully the leather is not overpowering at this point, because I kind of hate leather. The frankincense and star anise somehow go beautifully with the metals. I am a goddess of bronze being worshiped in my own temple. I'm keeping this one! Maybe think about getting a bottle...

Woodsy! The description feels spot on. It's the cabin in the woods where Princess Aurora grew up with the faerie godmothers. It's warm & cozy, but also herby & fresh in that garden work kind of way. As it dries, the patchouli & slight floral notes come through the dust & iron. I didn't think I would like it, especially because of the moss note, but I'm going to hold on to this lab frimp for a nice springtime scent. I'm almost getting vanilla as the dry down continues. Half an hour later, & it's still absolutely lovely, but now in a citrus way?

Leather & cedar don't usually work on me, and this is no exception. This is complex & expensive-smelling, & I would put it in a masculine cologne category. Thank you labbies for the frimp; I will be passing it on!

From the imp: SUGAR. Wet on my skin: ALMOND. This is absolutely the scent of a sugar cookie drowning in almond extract, moist & served with afternoon tea. As it dries, I'm getting a woodiness that wasn't there before. We're quickly moved out of baked goods territory. Someone has brought our almond goodies to a dusty cabin, warm & ready for the season. Further dried down, is that apple I'm getting? Maybe there was something in the cottage oven after all. I like this, but I don't love this. I think this would make a good spring scent for someone who isn't into florals but likes big cozy sweaters.

The lemon peel and lemon balms makes this a bright, clean scent. There is definitely a floralness about it, thanks to the passion flower herb perhaps? This isn't my usual thang but I'm thankful for getting to try it. Thank you to the fellow forumite for frimping!

Clean and fresh and slightly herby and soapy and I don't really like it. Bergamot needs something muskier or smokier to contrast its shine. I'll be passing this imp on to someone else!