I just knew it would happen but Beth has outdone herself yet again. How does she do it? I'm amazed and flabberghasted. It looks like the updates are going to become even more devastating (financially, that is) over these next few months...

 

So, what do I think of Halloween 06? There are some that really call to me, but luckily most of them are only decant-worthy for now. My bank account is safe for now-at least until Kindly Moon...

 

Bought:

 

ALL SOULS -- An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes.

As soon as I saw 'sugared currant' and 'cake' I immediately thought of Eat Me, which I adore. And it has incense, which I also adore. Bought a bottle.

 

SHOGGOTH -- white amber, green coconut meat, iris, palmarosa, Chinese peony, lime, water lily, snowdrop, muguet, lemongrass, osmanthus, wisteria, glassy musk, and hinoki.

White amber? I've not seen that in BPAL. I have no idea how it smells (lighter and softer than other ambers?) and I love the coconut meat note in Obatala (better than just plain coconut), so green coconut really intrigues. And it's good to see waterlily in a scent-there are too few waterlily scents. This scent description seems to bring to mind the words 'iridescent pastel technicolour', a mix of white and pale-coloured notes.

 

Will definitely get when I have money/next update:

 

PUMPKIN QUEEN -- The Glorious Grand Dame of the Pumpkin Patch! Regal Egyptian Amber, red ginger, orange peel, mandarin, cardamom, fig leaf and warm pumpkin.

This is where the two consciences in my head argue. The little devil says 'get a bottle! it has Egyptian amber and cardamom, and I know how much you loooooove those notes, and you know it's going to be lovely with pumpkin! BUY IT NOW.' but the little angel says 'not so fast! Your skin turns red ginger-or at least the one in the SN-to rubbery asphalt! and that's not a good smell! You have a decant on the way, and if you like it, only THEN you can get bottle(s)!' but then the devil beats the crap out of the angel with a pitchfork...

 

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA -- gleaming skin musk, honey and white amber, plum blossom, osmanthus, sandalwood, calla lily, and a light, sensual blend of Eastern spices.

More white amber-now I'm very curious about this. All the other notes-skin musk, honey, sandalwood, osmanthus and Eastern spices look gorgeous too. Especially Eastern spices-this seems like a softer, floral equivalent to Snake Charmer? It's the plum blossom that may go odd on me but it didn't in Peony Moon and there are loads of winning notes here. Will grab bottle!

 

COUNT DRACULA -- black patchouli, neroli, tonka, cinnamon, bitter clove, leather, black musk, coffin wood and fiery ginger.

This really does seem like bottled sex. Cinnamon, clove, and ginger? Yum. Leather, patchouli, rich black musk and delicious tonka? I'm there. And it's Dracula...how can I ignore a Dracula scent-and such a sexy one at that? Now I need a man to rub these oils all over...

 

LUCY WESTENRA -- A wanton beauty, corrupt, hypnotic, seductive, and feral: magnolia, iris, Moroccan rose, frankincense, crushed jasmine blossom, blood orange, tobacco flower and white musk.

This to me looks like one of those fantastic, complex, rich, resinous and heady rose-based floral scents which I love so much-it does seem to remind me of some favourites of mine, the likes of the Haunted Palace and LitA, the resin-rose scents like Rose Cross and Magdalene, and also Three Brides which I am coveting fiercely. And I want to collect all those wonderful rich musky/resinous rosyscents so I need a bottle of luscious Lucy asap!

 

MISKATONIC UNIVERSITY -- The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls.

So glad to see it as a GC. Coffee and old books and Baileys. I love it. I don't need a bottle urgently though but this is my favourite BPAL coffee scent so far.

 

Decants and imps:

 

THE HIGH PRIEST NOT TO BE DESCRIBED -- Monastic incense, blood musk, black leather, cypress, pimento, white pepper, and Roman chamomile.

Ohh, this looks intriguing. Incense, blood musk and leather are all favourites but this scent may be a little masculine. Worth an imp, for now.

 

THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZAHN -- A ghoulish and tortured scent, suffused with the blackness of space illimitable: ajowan, vetiver, black musk, opoponax, mimosa, and tamarind.

I have no idea what ajowan smells like but apparently it's cuminy/caraway-ish which seems interesting, and vetiver is either nice or too much, and I'm not keen on tamarind (hate drinking tamarind juice) but I'm still interested in trying this, just for the opoponax and black musk.

 

NIGHT-GAUNT -- something akin to yuzu, white grapefruit, and kumquat mixed with the snow-dusted flowers of Mount Ngranek.

Mmm, sharp citrus! this sounds like a kind of Aizen-Myoo type scent which might be fresh, tangy and light. A tangy, pretty floral with a load of citrus. This will be one for next spring, I think.

 

Y'HA-NTHLEI -- A swirling, lightless, effervescent scent: the deepest marine notes with bergamot, eucalyptus and foamy ambergris.

Hmm. suddenly my skin has become quite the aquatic-hater (turns them to soap) but not all of them. This looks very unusual-eucalyptus and ambergris? I have no idea what this will be like-very piercingly cold and nose-decongesting, probably.

 

ALL SAINTS 2006 -- Based on a venerable French pontifical incense blend: monastic frankincense and myrrh, Damascus rose, Russian gardenia, cassia, and lily of the valley wafting on a chill Autumn wind.

Love the 05 version, may consider getting the 06 just to see how different it is.

 

CREEPY -- This season’s Ridiculous Scent! As creepy as Spooky was spooky, this is the scent of butterscotch-kissed, caramel-smothered red apples spiked with a blast of coconut rum.

Mmmm, this looks yummy. Toffee apples and coconut rum? I still want to try a decant since some rum scents can be a little dusty or a little too boozy on me. I want a toffee apple scent that works on me...

 

DEVIL’S NIGHT 2006 -This is the scent of autumn night, fires in the distance, with a touch of boozy swoon, playful sugar and thuggish musk.

Love DN 05, may want to see how different this year's version may be-and to have another bottle of DN! To me, it's my Guy Fawkes firework watching scent, so evocative of dry autumn night air and gingery musk.

 

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 2006 -- dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus.

Hmm, it seems the Dia scents do vary wildly from year to year but since I liked 05 I might get a bottle of 06, maybe this one won't be overtly floral? The 05 version was rather too heady at times, but very pretty.

 

PUNKIE NIGHT -- apple orchards, bright cranberries, and a touch of warm cider.

This looks very apple-y indeed with the orchard and cider notes. decant. Sometimes apples can be nice but sometimes they can be too sharp on me. But orchards sound lovely-this may be a very natural apple scent.

 

SAMHAIN 2006 -- Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.

Worth trying to see if it's different/the same and for another vintage bottle of this iconic LE. And it smells gooood.

 

SAMHAINOPHOBIA -- The fear of Halloween. Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves.

Vetiver...now that's either too much for me or just bearable. I dunno but Haitian vetiver, I think, is the strong stuff. I'm reminded of Baron Samedi's vetiver which overwhelmed the scent. But it's got bourbon geranium, which I love! And clove! And autumn leaves! I'll try a decant.

 

SUGAR SKULL 2006 -- Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits.

Ditto with the other '06' scents-I don't know if I need more SS but I'll try a decant and see if it's the same or different. My 05 has turned to deep, boozy, rummy sugar, but sometimes it's a bit too much to handle.

 

THE BLOODY SWORD -- dragon’s blood, myrrh, black pepper, labdanum, benzoin, leather, fire, and steel.

Steel in perfume? and fire? This I must smell. How it will do on my skin I don't know but it has some lovely resin action going on as well-love myrrh, pepper, labdanum and benzoin, and leather usually smells good on me. It may be verging towards the masculine though.

 

CARFAX ABBEY -- The scent of abandoned places, of desolation and emptiness: heavy woods and thin dusty herbs touched by the wafting incense of a nearby chapel.

Looks very gloomy and grim but this might be really nice-decant. I have no idea what this will be like apart from dismal and dusty and maybe quite lonely-it may be nicely evocative though.

 

THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS -- Mountain air and the scent of crisp snow blanketing the mountain’s flora: Scottish fir, beech, cembra and mugho pine, rhododendron, currant, honeysuckle, raspberry leaf, dwarf juniper, sedge, meadow grass, snowdrop, rose bay, lily of the valley, starwort, lichen and mosses.

This looks quite stunning, I must say. A complex mountain forest scent? If the snow is like Skadi...mmm. I have no idea what cembra, sedge, snowdrop, rose bay (is it like rose, or bay?) or starwort smell like but I do like fir, woods, pine, currant and if the honeysuckle is that new honeysuckle note like in Litha and BatWoman, then this looks very promising.

 

THE CASTLE -- A distant whisper of pine, wet moss and dry leaves passing through vast halls and winding dungeons whose scent bears the memory of blood, faded splendor, imperial elegance and stunning violence.

This looks intriguing enough to warrant a decant, though it does seem very gloomy (rightly so, though) but it might be really atmospheric. There's also a degree of mystery and vagueness after the moss and pine-the smell of dungeons? Interesting.

 

JOHNATHAN HARKER -- A respectable gentleman’s scent: lavender, iris, white tea, verbena and white sandalwood.

Hmmm, I'm reminded of Usher and Villain when I see this-could be really nice but also too cologne-like, or too manly? I'll try a decant.

 

QUINCEY MORRIS -- Rough on the edges, but possessing the true essence of valor and nobility of spirit: tobacco, vanilla, white pear, cedar, rugged musk and saddle leather.

Mmm, this looks very nice-it seems to be Tombstone/Dead Man's Hand-esque. I might want to try a decant since Tombstone's vanilla did go crazy on my skin. I hope the 'saddle leather' isn't too rawhide-like though. How the pear will fit in intrigues me...

 

WILHELMINA MURRAY -- Tea rose, white sandalwood and a flurry of pale, virginal blossoms, smeared with a smoky, blood-soiled blend of myrrh, hyacinth, Daemonorops resin, dark musk and blackcurrant.

Another interesting scent, but aren't they all? A dark floral…I love rose, myrrh, hyacinth, sandalwood, not sure about Daemonorops (dragon's blood apparently?). Decant first.

 

R.M. RENFIELD -- Unhinged: moss, cumin, patchouli, Balsam of Peru, and neroli.

Looks reminiscent of Dracul. I do like most of the notes but I want to get a decant first. I'd love to know what Balsam of Peru is like-is it that note that turned to lovely amber in Dracul? Mmm...

 

DR. JOHN SEWARD -- poppy smoke, champaca flower, tonka, sandalwood, ginger, white pepper.

Poppy/opium can be nice or nasty. But all the other notes look so tempting. Champaca, sandalwood, ginger and yummy tonka? One to try a decant of for sure.

 

Don't need:

 

AL AZIF --A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay.

I adore this scent and I'm so glad it's now GC! But I have a bottle so I don't need more for now,

 

ARKHAM -- A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss.

Not so keen on this-something in it went too sweet, and something else made it smell like some old designer moisturising cream my mum used to wear. Something in it screams 'department store body lotion' and the phlox is over-sweet.

 

AZATHOTH -- tangerine, saffron, vetiver, black amber and cedarwood.

Way too masculine for me. Scaaaaary vetiver.

 

CTHULHU -- A creeping, wet, slithering scent, dripping with seaweed, oceanic plants and dark, unfathomable waters.

Ditto Azathoth. Yes, this has scaaaaaary vetiver as well.

 

PUMPKIN PATCH REVISITED

Don't really need more PP-I only liked the apple cider one enough to keep and I have a bottle of that, which is enough for now.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Ok, that's done and dusted. I now can't wait for Kindly Moon (I imagine that will be a tiny update of just the moon, like CM was). And then the BPTP updates...I swear that Puddin' hinted at incense going live (a little mention of 'stuff you can set on fire') and if that's the case, I really hope this incense ain't LE, since I have been looking forward to BPAL incense since it was mentioned last year and I want to buy it all! I have a feeling the next Wallet Armageddon big update to look forward to, BPAL wise, is on October 13th. I predict that the CD Thirteen in One freak show scents will go live, along with 13, and...Yules!!! Since the Yule scents went up in mid-October last year, so it seems reasonable. And if this Halloween update was huge, then it's possible that Yule will be even bigger and more mind-bogglingly amazing...