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.
On me it's a really resinous, dirty-hippy sort of scent, all teak and musk and patchouli. Then it gets a high, sweet-sour scent, almost like furniture polish...I suppose that's the star anise trying to work its magic. Its best phase is when it's completely dried; then it is a dark yet gleaming scent, like an intricately-carved teak chest, glistening with polish and the adoring care of generations of hands.
As aggressive as all of the notes sound, this one doesn't throw at *all*. Really strange. It's not for me, yet if I were to smell it on someone else, I think I'd really like it and be coming in for lots of close, intimate sniffings.
This is a gorgeous floral blend -- like a big bouquet of freshly-cut flowers, all mingling together. I like my florals on the fresh, light, 'green' side, and would recommend this to others who are of the same mind.
A light, bright, cheerful peach scent. It actually reminded me a bit of Aglaia, only without the deep musk and amber notes that made it a little overpowering and cloying. This scent hugs the skin, doesn't give much throw, and seems to wear off fairly quickly, which is diappointing, but it's definitely a charming scent while it lasts.
Pretty much as advertised...very strong, dry lavender, with a faint bit of bergamot underneath. It reminds me lots of Baku, only without the sweet addition of anise. Fades away to nothing pretty rapidly. I thought I'd like this a lot more than I actually did.
It starts out with a bit of a sour kick, like wine gone musty...I'd have to assume that it's the pear and grape acting out, there. From a distance, it gives off a creamy vanilla vibe with some fruity overtones, while up close there's more of a tart pear smell. It's really interesting. Of all the Odes, this one had the most throw and lingered the longest. I'm actually sad now that I didn't buy a bottle.
There's a lot of white chocolate here, and after a few moments the violet peeks out. It's really lovely at first, but wears off all too quickly. Ah well.
Forum-only scent
I get lots of fresh, green apple from this, with just a hint of carnation. It's pretty, but just a wee bit too fruity for my taste. It faded pretty quickly.
Limited Edition -- Halloween 2009
A very yummy Pumpkin, indeed! This is the first time I really came up against the 'buttery' note that a lot of people talk about. But as soon as the cap is off and it's being applied, I get a hearty blast of freshly-melted butter. It quickly ebbs a bit so that it just smells like lightly-salted buttered popcorn...and then the other notes come out to play. I like honey, but often it can smell just a little too musky or tart; here, the pumpkin mellows it out enough so that it gives a nice, mellow body to the pumpkin and takes away a light sweetness from its fellow component. I liked it so much, I made sure to buy a bottle.
Category: Mad Tea Party
This smells like sweet, sticky, golden fruit preserves, seasoned with lots of ginger and perhaps a bit of cinnamon as well. Quite lovely! I think it lasted quite a while, as well.
Category -- Diabolus
The first time I wore this, I knew that I was smelling the plum pretty predominantly; it had a sort of rich, dark fruity tone to it without being too terribly juicy.
Now, as I retest it, I'm given the impression of a rich lady sampling plums in between sips of champagne; it's fruity, yes, but there's also a very rich, perfumey smell that is almost alcoholic in its headiness.
A co-worker of mine recently received a rose that smelled a lot like this -- a sweetness so fruity that it was hard to believe it was coming from a rose! So I can believe that there is rose in here...though in this case the sweetness is surely from the fruits mixing with all the various florals.
It tends to hug close to the skin; this is a scent that's pretty much reserved for your own pleasure, and that of anyone you invite into very close company.
Recommended for fans of plum and fruit scents, and even for those who normally hate rose (of which I am one). This is a sexy one.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
The sad part is that I can smell the clove, vetiver, and cherry all working together, but their resultant team effort is just not a harmonious one to my nose. It just kinda smells like burnt, bitter cherry with a side of ass. I blame you, vetiver. Thankfully, it doesn't broadcast very much to the world.
If you already know that the components work on you, then feel free to give this a try, and enjoy.
Category -- Rappaccini's Garden
I wasn't hoping for much from this one, but was pleasantly surprised. This really does smell like rich, juicy red berries, with maybe a teensy splash of wine. Unfortunately, it doesn't have all that much throw or longevity on me; otherwise it'd be a keeper.
Go ahead and try this if you normally don't like lotus. I think you'll enjoy it for a change.
Category -- Diabolus
*gack cough* This is aggressive, all right. Vetiver whispers unkind things into the ear of patchouli, who otherwise is my friend, and together they are stalking across the way to rearrange my face. I think I shall be leaving by the back door, now...
And you know what's ironic? Besides being so angry, it smells like the Queen Of All Hippies. Talk about a paradox.
It actually reminds me a lot of my experiences with Crossroads and Lust...and those weren't very pleasant, either.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
I do smell coconut and orris. It's nice, but even with the musk, it's just so darned meek that I really can't put it on my list of keepers. Light throw, average longevity.
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 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.
At first Grandmother and I didn't get along; she smelled like baby powder with a very unpleasant biological crotch-sweat edge to it. Eww! Over time, however, she mellowed out, did a 180, and smelled like a bouquet of dried flowers that had been saved over the years in a wooden drawer, age and dust giving them a peppery sort of aura.
Not really my thing, but I'm relieve that it had a happy ending, at least.
Category -- Ars Amatoria
As a rose scent, it's very nice and pretty. It actually reminds me of what a little girl's room would smell like -- very light and floral and feminine. Not very harloty AT ALL.
It faded very quickly on me, and didn't have much throw while it was there. Pretty, but fleeting.
Category -- Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
This is a bright, intriguing blend that, yes, is full of courage and hope. Like many of my favorite plant scents, this one seems to come from the roots and stems and leaves of plants, rather than all the pretty frou-frou petaled parts. It's like sunlight and glowing sap. Really nice.
Category -- Wanderlust
I don't get any darkness from this at all -- nope, this is a bright, sunny, lush jungle scent. It's extremely evocative of someone sitting by a waterfall, sipping a rum-based drink, and inhaling the rain-kissed scent of jungle blooms. And, later on, I really do get the scent of stone -- as if our intrepid hero sauntered into the limestone cave behind the waterfall to check on his chest of treasure and sleep the afternoon away.
Alas, it dissipates pretty quickly on me, but it's a very fun little mind-trip while it's there!
It's a really great scent for summertime!
Category -- Bewitching Brews
There's a strong whiff of pine, and then it quickly becomes tempered by the smell of cranberries, which helps make it sweet and tart as well as robust. Not me, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.
Category -- Bewitching Brews
A sweet, almost cloying mix if rose and other florals. Not really my thing. It has decent longevity and some moderate throw, especially if, like me, you tend to amp this certain kind of rose. (Now if only I knew just what *kind* of rose it is...)
Category -- Limited Editions -- Yule 2008 -- BPTP Yule Inquisition
Sirensea sent me a sniffie of this (phew, say that five times fast), and I'm very glad to have been able to smell this! It's a very rich coffee that to me has tones of hazelnut, or amaretto. I don't really get a boozy vibe from it. There wasn't enough to test on my skin, so I'm not sure how my chemistry would have interacted with it. I almost get the impression that it might have turned sort of sour after a while, like coffee breath. But as a little sniffie every now and then, it's very fun.
