Category: Bewitching Brews
Sweet, yummy apricot; the brandy gives it a warm edge that balances out what could otherwise have been a cloyingly sweet odor. I have to slather it quite a bit, but when I do, it treats me to warm, fruity sweetness throughout the day. Very pretty.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
Mmmmm. Up close and personal, it's pine. Big, manly, rugged pine. And then, as my wrist whisks away, it leave behind a tantalizing blend of spicy vanilla -- the pine's still there, but now it feels more like a blend of juniper and herbs, the same sort of sexiness that I love about Himerus.
To me, this is the male companion to Flowering Chrysanthemums. FC is all wet, dusky petals, and GP is a thick branch brimming with sap, and both of them are bathed in fragrant vanilla. That's hot.
Delicious.
Limited Edition -- Anniversary Scents
I get sweet, slightly lemony florals from this...and then it poofs away and dissipates. Even hard huffing at my skin doesn't seem to reveal much! Which is puzzling, because a couple of people commented on it smelling nice...so I'm wondering what they hell they were smelling! I suppose I'll hang onto my decant for a while, but it seemed pointless to buy a bottle of something I can't even smell.
This is a very light, clean scent, without ever turning soapy. The skin musk is predominant, but as it settles in on my skin I can detect the light sweetness of the vanilla flower, with perhaps a hint of honey and beeswax giving it a bit of a warm glow. This is another scent that tends to hug close, with occasional whiffs throughout the day....but it is *very* durable.
Basically, it smells like fresh, slightly damp skin, straight out of the shower. Very nice and clean. I haven't tried Glowing Vulva, so I couldn't compare this at all, but in its own right I think it's rather nice. If you like discreet, deceptively simple aromas, then this is worth acquiring.
Category: Unreleased
Perhaps I should preface this with that I'm really not that familiar with fruitcake, my only exposure to it having been a nasty, cold concoction that had all the charm of fossilized Jolly Ranchers buried in road tar. I don't recall it having a scent, and the experience left me with no desire to ever make any of my own, so I've never smelled a freshly-made, *good* fruitcake.
That being said...
In the imp: It reminded me of a sort of bread...a dark, moist, spicy bread with a definite sweetness to it.
Wet: A candy-like scent came out, like gumdrops; it also made me think of brown sugar, and molasses, and, yes, booze...perhaps rum. Definitely something sweet.
Dry: It settles down to a more reserved version of those ingredients...sometimes a more spicy element pokes out, but there's always that sweet tone, as well.
Verdict: I like *this* fruitcake. It's a very evocative scent. I can't see wearing it a lot, but now that I've used the imp I think I'll justify hanging onto it. It's really cute and I'm glad I've gotten to experience it.
What I liked: It's sweet and comforting. I love the mental pictures it gives, even if I do get a vague craving for something moist, sweet, and chewy.
What I didn't like: Hm, nothing really...except perhaps that it makes me fear that no real fruitcake could ever compare to this.
Category: Limited Editions: Yule 2007
I didn't really get any tartness from this; sweetness, yes, but never shrill or sickly...it had a nice, full body to it. I think my only complaint about it would be that it doesn't throw quite as far or last as long as I would like. But it's quite a lovely scent, and sensual in its own way (which I suppose is appropriate...)
Category -- Ars Amatoria
'Lotus bubblegum' is a good descriptor for it. It's a very sweet, lush scent, though on me it doesn't have a lot of throw, and wore off fast. Definitely recommended for those who like lotus, as this is the predominant tone.
Chrysanthemum, marigold, vanilla, and amber all mingle together to create a spicy, warm sort of vanilla-floral on my skin. It's a durable scent that treats me to delicious wafts of dry warmth. This is like the scent of pressed, dried flowers, given by a lover from long ago. Out of all of the Shungas, and indeed all the Lupercalia scents, this was definitely my favorite.
Fresh on, it's very strong and strident with an air of cinnamon to it, as well as sweet florals. Like a spark, it flares up, and then settles down to the grim business of burning. It smolders all day long, and hugs my skin like the ember-flames of a fire licking at wood.
It was really pretty, so I think I will hang onto the imp for a little while, at least.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
Wow, I actually love this! It's lots of straight-up dirty patchouli over what smells like musk and amber, with maybe a leeeeetle bit of cinnamon thrown in for flavor. I have to slather it quite a bit, but it lasts all day and all night, and gives me delightful wafts of its spicy, sultry scent. This is the first of the Conjure Bag scents that I really had a liking for.
Limited Editions -- Halloween 2009
Primarily, this one is like a spiced bread or cake to me. The beer gives it a sweet sort of nutty aroma when I inhale *super* deeply. Alas, I really wanted to like this one, and it's not a *bad* scent, but it just can't hold a candle to my favorites from last year, Huesos De Santos and John Barleycorn.
Category: Limited Editions -- Halloween 2008 -- Sleepy Hollow
I got a variety of scents from this one over the time that I tested it...the first day, it was straight-on, overpowering apple juice, with a rather unpleasant...biological sort of edge to it. (Read: pee. Eeek.) On subsequent days, however, it played very nice. One day, I could swear that all I smelled was sarsparilla...like a smooth, creamy, home-brewed root beer with a hint of vanilla and just the barest wisp of smoke. I have NO idea what was going on, that day, but I liked it -- and if it had done that repeatedly, I'd definitely be wanting a bottle of it. Overall, however, it settles into spiced apple cider. It's a scent that's both sweet and warm and very evocative of Autumn. If you love apple scents, definitely grab some of this. It's really good, but for a foodie scent, I believe that Huesos works better for me.
September 2009 Lunacy
This one is sort of a roller coaster for me. At first, it smells a little off -- almost like there's some mustyness in among the leaves, but not quite. Then it actually gets sort of sweet. At its peak, it does evoke a misty autumn day with piles of falling leaves all around; not really rainy or wet, but definitely not dry or smoky, either. It's really like nothing I've smelled before, and I can't put my finger on anything else to describe it...but all things considered, I rather like it.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oddly enough, the main scent I got from this was...licorice. Weird! I'm trying to think what would make that strange combination to my nose...perhaps the bergamot mixed with the heliotrope, or the oakmoss.
All things considered, however, I did enjoy it; it was soft and delicate on me and had a beguiling femininity to it. It evokes an impish fae quite well in that regard.
It helped that I like bergamot, I think.
Limited Edition -- Yule 2009
To me, this is a spicy aquatic floral. The camellia is sweet and light and fresh, given punch by the peppers. The first time I wore this, it actually seemed to irritate my nose a bit with its peppery spiciness, so I gave up on it. Now that I am revisiting it to review it, it's behaving itself better, so this may age decently. For all its spiciness, it does not have a lot of throw, and seems to wear off after a few hours. Pretty in its own distinct way, but not for me.
Category: Excolo
I pretty much smell lots of lilac and myrrh mixed together. I don't know if there is an actual wine note in the 'honey wine', but Eros manages to go sour on me pretty quickly, much like Athens did. It's not as obnoxious as Athens was, but still not for me.
Category: Excolo
Oh...oh yum. Sweet luscious fruity YUM.
Could be apple in there...could be pear...could also be some melon...definitely very moist, juicy scents, incredibly wet and tempting, with just a hint of florals -- is it sakura blossom that continues to make it so sweet? In any case, hot damn.
I don't get any spiciness from it at all...just lots of seductive sugary sweetness. I know now how hummingbirds feel.
Category: Discontinued Scents
Straight out from the imp, it smelled like soap. So, at least I smelled clean, albeit with a sharp touch of lye. And that's the way it stayed, the first few days that I wore it.
Today, though, it smelled differently...it actually smelled *good*, and of flowers. (Yes, I tend to persist with scents, even if they don't work right away.) I couldn't really detect any myrrh; I think in the imp I'm mostly smelling ylang ylang and sweet pea. As I put it on, the flowery notes gained a bit of strength, but weren't overpowering in soapiness as they had been before.
Dry, I smell sweet pea, and perhaps rose. There *is* a faint bit of soapiness and powder to it, which keeps it from being perfect...but it's definitely an improvement.
So, hm, something's definitely going on with my body chemistry. The only notes I've previously experienced have been sweet pea and myrrh, so I'm not sure who the culprit is for the strange, intriguing acrobatics that I'm noticing here.
In the end, unfortunately, there was just too much soapiness present to make this one a keeper.
Category: Bewitching Brews
Oh goodness, this is absolutely gorgeous. This is my first time smelling violet so intently, and it is really, really lovely. This scent lasted all day, lingering particularly in my clothes, letting me fancy myself to be an exquisite, delicate, highly-feminine creature. Another one to add to my list of favorites.
Limited Editions -- Yule 2009
Honestly, it smells like the chocolate scratch and sniff stickers I used to go wild over as a kid...dusted with a bit of cinnamon. This is a scent that stays close to the skin, and lasts for a decent amount of time. It's fun, if not bottle-worthy IMHO.
Right away, I can smell the tart, citrusy scents, the mandarin and lime. They are delicious together...juicy and drinkably sweet and fresh, with just enough bitterness to make them tangy and interesting. As time passes, it becomes a much deeper and muskier scent, very, very sexy...an 'older' scent, to my nose.
To me, this is the perfume of a woman who has been there, done that, knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to rough someone up a bit with her claws while getting it. I'd rename this one to something shorter, like 'Cougar'.
Of all the anniversary Phoenixes, this one was my favorite. There is a strong, sort of astringent note right at the beginning, almost like the sharp tang of *very* fresh barkmulch. Thankfully, this lasts but a moment, and soon there is just a lush blooming of green plantlife. 'Earthy' is an easy word to apply here, but it's very apt; they are just deep, green-brown, earthy notes. I get cypress, maybe some tobacco leaf, and just a teensy hint of cherry lurking underneath there. It lasts all day and as just enough throw to keep constantly reminding me of how lovely it is. Very nice!
Category -- Ars Draconis
For the first few minutes of wearing it, I'm treated to a smokey, resinous scent that is my holy grail of incense-like smells. And yet, like any good holy grail, it is quickly carried away by mysterious figures wearing samite, leaving me with the sweet and slightly fruity scent that I have now come to associate with BPAL's dragon's blood.
Every now and then, there is a pleasant, smoky sort of whuff to it...like a dragon breathing fragrant smoke out of its huge, powerful lungs as it slumbers, its heart beating but once per hour.
Definitely an interesting blend.
Category: Ars Draconis
Upon first application, it's a very woody scent, with a vague hint of spiciness, and a delightful resinous edge. However, it wears off really quickly, leaving just a very faint blend of sweetness and sandalwood behind. Not a keeper for me.
This is mostly white musk for me. There's a hint of coconut, but it's very light and fleeting. There's also an astringent, almost alcoholic quality to it that I've never detected in a BPAL blend before. Not sure what's to blame for that.
This scent wears very close to the skin. It seemed to fade pretty quickly.
