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Rovylern

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Blog Entries posted by Rovylern

  1. Rovylern

    Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht

    By Rovylern,

    Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
     
    Reviewed 07/21/2008
     
    In the bottle: Honey and apples. Mmm.
     
    Wet: Caramel apples and soft amber. So far so good, the teak hasn't come out to play.
     
    Drydown: The skin musk comes out and makes this much less foody. The apple and caramel fades out almost completely, but the honey lingers as a very soft sweetness. I get a hint of the teak at the very end of the wear, and it does give me a bit of the sawdust that most wood notes do on my skin. This fades out quickly, but has a good throw while it lasts.
  2. Rovylern

    April Fool 2008

    By Rovylern,

    The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. - Mark Twain
     
    The Fool is many things, but rarely is he foolish. He is the inscrutable zero, he is innocence perfected, and he is the nothing from which all things are created. It is the Fool that reveals truth and brings wisdom to King Lear, and it is the Fool that finally finds the Holy Grail.
     
    Huckleberry, white rose, tangerine, nicotiana, lemon blossom, and Fool's Parsley.
     
    Reviewed 04/27/2008
     
    Wet: Wow, that's a sharp herbal. Yikes.
     
    Drydown: I'm getting the rose now, a hint of citrus, and a sweetness I'm guessing is the huckleberry. It's still grounded by a green herbal I'm assuming is the parsley, but it's lost that knife-sharp edge that I was getting before. This is definitely not what I was expecting, but it's very pretty and it lasts a really long time.
  3. Rovylern

    Archangel Winter

    By Rovylern,

    Crystalline, glassy ice whipped by a snowstorm. Piercing ozone, winter darkness.
     
    Reviewed 07/18/2008
     
    In the imp: Light and chilly, with a hint of citrus.
     
    Wet: Still light and cold, and I'm getting a distinct lemony scent. This is very nice.
     
    Drydown: This reminded me a lot of Delousing Powder in the beginning, and I liked it very much. Unfortunately, after about half an hour this turned into very strong soap and gave me a headache.
  4. Rovylern

    Beaver Moon 2007

    By Rovylern,

    BEAVER MOON
    Traditionally, Beaver Moon is named thus for a very obvious reason: during this time of year, beavers are hard at work building their dams and preparing for the onset of winter. However, we at BPAL rarely let an opportunity for sleazy campiness pass us by! For your pleasure and amusement, we present this year's incarnation of Beaver Moon: wild cherry with vanilla cream accord, and a hint of strawberry.
     
    Reviewed 10/14/2007
     
    Oh yum. This is absolutely delectable.
     
    Wet I get a strong cherry note, almost exclusively. As it begins to dry there's a distinct cake-y smell, like vanilla cake batter before it's baked, that pushes the cherry into the background. Just as it's about to get overwhelming, the strawberry comes up and it all blends together amazingly.
    The throw is very very subtle, and as AEris mentioned is only really detectable for about half an hour unless I go nose-to-wrist and sniff for it. It does last for a long time, but even if I slather it on it stays very light. Usually I like a more distinct throw, so I'll be hunting for a locket or something to make this stand out a bit more.
     
    Even with the subtle throw, I am so in love with this oil! I'm glad I bought three bottles of this, it's definitely one I'm going to hoard.
  5. Rovylern

    Black Ice

    By Rovylern,

    Lovely, dangerous, slick, and bitterly cold: chilly white sleet-like notes with a hint of vetiver, a breath of smoky asphalt, and winter wind.
     
    Reviewed 07/18/2008
     
    In the imp: Something earthy I don't recognize, a breath of a spicy mint that reminds me of Nuclear Winter, and that distinctive 'cold' note.
     
    Wet: I'm getting a cool, herbal scent with a swirl of mint.
     
    Drydown: Spicy yet cold, herbal, minty. Low throw, but long lasting. This isn't what I expected, but I like it. I was expecting something a little more aloof, but it's very sexy.
  6. Rovylern

    Black Opal

    By Rovylern,

    A play of geological darkness and jagged brilliance. Soft and luminescent with flashes of black fire.
     
    Reviewed 08/11/2007
     
    I don't get any floral or greenery from this at all, just creamy tonka, soft musk, and something I can't identify but, oddly, brings to mind the sound of a mountain stream bubbling over rocks.
     
    This is a scent of seduction. Not much throw on my skin; it clings very close and getting a whiff makes you want to get closer. A tiny bit lasts for quite a while, too; six hours and still going as strong as when I first applied it.
  7. Rovylern

    Bliss

    By Rovylern,

    A shot of pure, self-indulgent euphoria! A scent that is very, very wicked in its own way: the serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate.
     
    Reviewed 09/14/2008
     
    In the imp: Chocolate, and nothing but.
     
    Wet: Melted chocolate. Yum.
     
    Drydown: This is gobs of milk chocolate. Not the expensive dark chocolates of Candy Butcher or the sticky rich chocolate of Lump of Coal, but pure milk chocolate, like a handful of Hershey Kisses. There's not much throw, this is definitely one that you have to be close to sniff.
  8. Rovylern

    Blood Countess

    By Rovylern,

    Elizabeth Báthory, also called Erzsébet Báthory in Hungarian and Alžbeta Bátoriová-Nádašdy in Slovak, was the Bloody Lady of Hungary. In order to preserve her youth and loveliness, the brutal and incomparably savage countess captured, tortured and slaughtered innumerable young women and bathed in their blood as part of her beauty regimen. Ah, vanity. Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry.
     
    Reviewed 07/30/2007
     
    In the imp I smelled mostly the juicy plum and berry notes that everyone mentioned. On my skin, it went VERY floral almost immediately, and I nearly ran for the bathroom. Heavy carnation or gardenia scents make me gag, and I'm not sure why I stuck this out but I'm so glad I did. The floral stage lasted about 15-20 minutes and then disappeared almost entirely to be replaced with lighter berries, dark, lusty spiciness, and a faint hint of opium and flowers swirling up every so often. And my SO's opinion, well, let's just say that's not appropriate for a PG (or even PG-13) forum! I'm going to assume that means he likes it, too. Oh yes, this is definitely going to be a 5mL purchase. It's so incredibly sensual and sexy!
  9. Rovylern

    Boomslang

    By Rovylern,

    Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk.
     
    Reviewed 03/26/2008
     
    I didn't sniff the imp of this, because I was nervous after reading the notes and didn't want to pre-judge it. I didn't read the reviews either. The teak note makes me nervous, wood goes to sawdust on me normally, and I've never smelled Snake Oil so I can't compare it with that.
     
    Wet: No sawdust yet, thank goodness. It's mostly dark cocoa, with a hint of something like caramel. It's not sweet or foody though. It's complex, I can smell some other, spicy notes floating around but I can't identify them.
     
    Drydown: This stained my skin where I put it on for a test patch. After about half an hour a sandalwood-like note came up and became very prominent, to the exclusion of pretty much everything else. It's very strong, and I'm not really fond of it. At the same time, a pounding headache came on. I'm not sure if they're related, but I had to go wash it off anyway. I'll have to test it again to see if the headache returns, but right now I'm not fond of this one.
  10. Rovylern

    Caliban

    By Rovylern,

    The scent of the salty seas, bittersweet wine, palm and tropical ferns.
     
    In the imp: Something about this reminds me of one of those "After The Rain" air fresheners.
     
    Wet: Yep, definitely an air freshener. It's very green and fresh, but something about it comes off artificial and chemical to my nose.
     
    Drydown: Wait, where did it go? This was completely gone after only 35 minutes. I put more on, and it disappeared again. I applied it a third time, very heavily, and again it vanished. Apparently I am not meant to smell this for more than half an hour. How very odd.
  11. Rovylern

    Centzon Totochtin

    By Rovylern,

    The Four Hundred divine rabbits of the Aztec pantheon that preside over parties and drunkenness. Bittersweet Mexican cocoa with rum, red wine, and a scent redolent of sacrificial blood.
     
    Reviewed: 01/21/2008
     
    In the imp: COFFEE!
     
    Wet: COFFEE! It's screaming. I'm picturing someone hyped up on 15 espresso shots chanting coffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffee. It's nothing but coffee. If I liked coffee it would be wonderful, but I don't drink it and I'm not a big fan.
     
    Drydown: This is still screaming COFFEE! at me. It's very in-your-face. Every now and then a swirl of booziness will bubble up, like someone trying to sober up after a long night, but only rarely. This would be perfect for the teacher my kid had last year who adored coffee and was a wine connoisseur, and I think I may pass this on to her for her birthday. It's very well done, it has a good throw and it lasts a long time, but it's just not for me.
     
    Edited to fix spelling. Apparently, I need some of the caffeine from the coffee in this perfume. *L*
  12. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/29/2008
     
    CCXXXIV (234)
     
    In the imp: Spearmint, and nothing but.
     
    Wet: I could have sworn I just swiped some perfume on...where did it go?
     
    Dry: Oh, there it is. This got very faint for a few minutes then came back. This is pretty much a spearmint single note. It's got a much stronger throw than the normal lab mints, and it lasts a good, long time.
     
    Verdict: I should have known from the number (I love sequential numbers like 234!) that this would be lovely. I think I'd like to layer this with MB: Tokyo Stomp or one of the Lick It line.
  13. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/28/2008
     
    CLIII (153)
     
    In the bottle: Holy pine and eucalyptus!
     
    Wet: Eeek! Pine!
     
    Dry: Pine, eucalyptus, some kind of dark berry, and that note from Crypt Queen that goes all to Vicks on me. After grabbing my CQ bottle and testing these side by side, they smell VERY similar to my nose. Pretty strong throw.
     
    Verdict: I can't wear Crypt Queen, and this isn't working for me either. I think I'll try to swap this for a different CT4.
  14. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/28/2008
     
    CLXVI (166)
     
    In the bottle: Delicious fruit punch and a champagne note.
     
    Wet: Yummy, red fruits and champagne, mixed together.
     
    Dry: There's definitely cherry and strawberry in there, possibly grape. This *sparkles*. It's sweet and super-fruity. Medium throw, loooong wear length for a fruity scent.
     
    Verdict: If I had a signature scent, THIS WOULD BE IT. Dearest Lab Staff, you are absolute geniuses and I love you dearly.
    The only downside to my bliss is that this is the only one of my CT4 bottles that wasn't full past the neck. This one is barely to the shoulder, and therefore must be jealously hoarded and guarded. SOB!
  15. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/28/2008
     
    CXLIII (143)
     
    In the bottle: Fruity musk, a hint of something dry and dusty that makes my nose twitch.
     
    Wet: Fruity and spicy. It's a tart fruit, but not pomegranate, maybe cranberry?
     
    Dry: There's definitely a musk under the tart, juicy fruit. My nose is twitching if I sniff too deeply, the way it does with Shango, so I think there may be some chili. Medium throw.
     
    Verdict: I love this! The spiciness gives it a fall feel, but it's not overpowering and could be worn year-round.
  16. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/28/2008
     
    CXXXIII (133)
     
    In the bottle: Chocolate maple syrup.
     
    Wet: I smell like pancakes!
     
    Dry: Pancakes and syrup, sprinkled with cocoa; not the burnt-sugar note of Sugar Skull. Light throw.
     
    Verdict: Ultra-foody and yummy, but it's definitely a cool-weather scent.
  17. Rovylern
    Reviewed 07/28/2008
     
    CXXXIV (134)
     
    In the bottle: Very light, something green and a hint of vanilla.
     
    Wet: Green and a light floral that reminds me of moonflower.
     
    Dry: Light and springy, the floral note is being tempered by the softness of vanilla and possibly a skin musk. Very light.
     
    Verdict: There's so little throw that it would be perfect for an office with scent-sensitive people. It's cool and light, like a spring day. Very nice.
  18. Rovylern

    Chaste Moon 2005

    By Rovylern,

    Though March marks the end of the desolation and chill of winter, it is not yet Spring, the time of rebirth, fertility and the Earth's fecundity. March's Full Moon is a Virgin's Moon, pure, youthful, unsullied and innocent. This is the Moon of the Child, and the scent is as soft and gentle as a baby's breath: milky blossoms and soft cream touch the last buds of winter, coupled with crystalline, bright traditional Lunar oils.
     
    Reviewed 01/07/2008
     
    I have been coveting this for months, ever since I was frimped a sniffie of it, and it was everything I was hoping it would be. It's spicy, with a base of sweet creaminess, and it blows me away. It stayed true, with no plastic or fake-ness in the undertones. It clings very close to the skin, with very little throw, the kind of scent you dab behind your ears and on the back of your neck before you meet a significant other and you want to draw them in close. Unfortunately, something in this makes me itch like nobody's business on every body part I tried it on, even places that I rarely react (like the back of my hand)!
  19. Rovylern

    Cheshire Moon 2008

    By Rovylern,

    A lunatic's blend of lunar herbs and blossoms, with lemongrass, guava, pink grapefruit, banyan fruit, hibiscus, and cherry blossom.
     
    Reviewed 03/08/2008
     
    In the bottle: Creamy fruits.
     
    Wet: Heavy on the guava and the grapefruit. It's very crisp and clear.
     
    Drydown: The longer this sits on my skin the more the floral notes come out. The florals come forward and ground the fruit, while the fruits keep this from becoming too floral. It's a relatively non-foody fruit scent, IMO. It 'feels' very cool and it's appropriate for the coming spring season. I like this a lot.
  20. Rovylern

    Crypt Queen

    By Rovylern,

    As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.
     
    Reviewed 09/09/2007
     
    I am really torn about this one. I absolutely love the subtle florals and juicy, dark berries. In the bottle, it is absolutely perfect. But on my skin there is an odd smell that comes out, I'm not sure what it is but it makes my nose tickle like a whiff of Vicks Vap-o-rub does. Maybe the pepper? It's not horribly strong but it doesn't fade away. I'm going to give it a few more tries and see how it does around other people, and if they notice that same weird scent when I wear it I may try aging it for a while before trying again.
  21. Rovylern

    Crypt Queen, test II

    By Rovylern,

    As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord.
     
    Originally reviewed 09/09/2007, revisited 11/02/2007
     
    I tried this for the first time back in September, and got a strange Vicks Vap-o-rub scent from it. I decided to give it another try tonight, just to see if there was any reason for me to keep it sitting around in my BPAL box.
     
    I'm still getting a strong Vicks scent from this. I can smell the berries swirling around under the surface, but whatever is going Vicks-ish on me is way too dominant. Unfortunately, it just does not fade away completely. With the exception of that one note, I love this blend...but that one note is so strong and lasting that I can't get past it.
  22. Rovylern

    Cthulhu

    By Rovylern,

    If I say that my somewhat extravagant imagination yielded simultaneous pictures of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature, I shall not be unfaithful to the spirit of the thing. A pulpy, tentacled head surmounted a grotesque and scaly body with rudimentary wings... It represented a monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind. This thing, which seemed instinct with a fearsome and unnatural malignancy, was of a somewhat bloated corpulence...A creeping, wet, slithering scent, dripping with seaweed, oceanic plants and dark, unfathomable waters.
     
    Reviewed 08/02/2007
     
    Where are my aquatics? Where are my green notes? Why does my skin hate me?
     
    Soap. Strong, masculine-smelling soap. I smell like my grandpa. The good part is that this faded really quickly and is almost completely gone two hours after applying it, so at least I don't have to smell it all day. Maybe I'll try this one on the boy.
  23. Rovylern

    Dana O'Shee

    By Rovylern,

    In Irish folklore the Dana O'Shee are a fae, elven people that live in a realm of beauty, their nobility akin to our that own Age of Chivalry, eternally beautiful and eternally young. They surround themselves with the pleasures of the Arts, they live for the hunt, and to this day can be seen riding in procession through the Irish countryside at twilight, led by their King and Queen. However, the Dana O'Shee are not benevolent creatures, despite what their unearthly beauty may imply. They are vengeful and treacherous and possess a streak of mischievous malice, and many have whispered that their true home lies deep in the shadowed groves of the Realm of the Dead. Hearing even a single chord of their otherworldly music leaves one stunned and lost to the mortal realms for ever, finding themselves prey to the Dana O'Shee's hunt or enslaved in their Court as servants or playthings. Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name.
     
    Reviewed 07/31/2007
     
    When I first put this on, there's a burst of dark, juicy, almost overripe cherry that fades almost immediately; if I don't raise my wrist to my nose immediately, I completely miss the phase. After the momentary cherry phase, it immediately settles into a warm, creamy milk and honey scent that is grounded with just a touch of oatmeal. It's not a terribly strong throw, but when I move my hands you can definitely smell it in the air and it seems to last for ages on my skin...I wore this for ten hours without a single re-application. This is the first scent that someone else has noticed on me (without me pointing it out), and I was complimented three different times while wearing it at work today. I would love this as a room scent, too, and I'm seriously thinking of going out and buying an oil burner just for that. It just has a very inviting, comforting, calming feel to it. It's official, Tokyo Stomp now has some stiff competition for the top spot in my growing arsenal.
  24. Rovylern
    The NIGHTMARE TERROR of TEENAGE love gone GRISLY!
    She's HELL-BENT on romance, THRILL-CRAZED, and HUNGRY!
    There's NO ESCAPE from her clutches!
     
    A deranged darling, sweet and sociopathic! Clotted vanilla cream, pink pepper, grapefruit, blood lily, red ginger, English pear, and lemon-squeezed candyfloss!
     
    Reviewed 02/09/2008
     
    In the bottle: Vanilla cake, a hint of something cherry-ish. Very foody.
     
    Wet: Again, something cherry-ish, but that fades quickly. The grapefruit and lemon are in the forefront, with creamy vanilla swirling underneath.
     
    Drydown: Sparkling, happy citrus. There is a bit of spice to keep it from going into the cleaning product smell. The cream seems to have blended in so well that I can't pick it out as a separate note but there is still a creamy feel. There's a short time when the pear note gives it a hint of play-doh, but thankfully it doesn't stay very long.
     
    The pear in this gave me pause, but I still ordered two bottles unsniffed. I'm glad that I did, because it's fabulous. This is definitely screaming "Hoard me!"
  25. Rovylern

    Earth Rat

    By Rovylern,

    A new year's blessing! Peony, China's national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, lychee for strong family relationships and peace in the home, orange for happiness, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and quince for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, coconut for longevity, and candied melon for good health, with a splash of blazing red of dragon's blood... to help you scare away the rampaging Nian.
     
    Reviewed 03/08/2008
     
    In the imp: This smells sharp, but not citrus sharp. It makes my nose twitch.
     
    Wet: Why hello there melon! Wow, that's strong. I can't make out any of the other notes through the melon.
     
    Drydown: None of the citrus notes came out for me, sadly. The melon calmed down a lot and blended with the other notes to create a beautiful fruity-floral scent with a hint of something sharp cutting through all sweetness. I'm glad I didn't amp the dragon's blood in this, because it doesn't do well on me. The throw is low, but it lasts a really long time even on my skin, which drinks up oils like a Hummer guzzles down gas. I'm not sure how often I will wear this, but I definitely want a bottle of this before it goes down.
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