ravenfeathers

in the bottle i love this. it's like spiked fruit punch, thick and sweet/tart and boozy. wet on skin sooo incredibly juicy. it's like a tropical drink with a alcoholic tang and fresh squeezed fruit juice. dry on skin the juiciness has really faded, and the patchouli is lingering. the fig keeps it sweet. i get no tea at all. two hours later just a whiff of sweet fig. i wish the whole thing lasted longer.

in the bottle i'm not getting any dragon's blood from this. it smells like patchouli, liek woah. and i'm really not a fan of patchouli at all. there is a slice of fruit, but overall is very, very heavy. wet on skin ah. well, there's all the dragon's blood. and... that's all i can smell. dry on skin nummy! musk and fruit and sweet. still just a smidge too dragon's bloody for me, though. two hours later not a lot of change. mostly musk and DB. this is just similar enough to my other ars draconis imp (dragon's hide) that i'm not sure i'd need one of each. they're slightly different, but dragon's blood is the thing.

in the bottle dragon's blood. god, that stuff is strong. wet on skin dragon's blood. see the pattern here? dry on skin the smoke and leather are there now and are very nice to offset the cloying sweetness of the DB. two hours later sweet smoke, like the ghost of incense.

in the bottle hm, sort of a dry, rich, fruity smell with an undertone of dark green and musk. it's slightly cologne-y, in a heavy, heady way which i normally don't care for, but which is really appealing here. there's just a trace of muskiness which rounds out the blend. wet on skin it's still slightly cologne-y, but not overwhelmingly so. as i said, it's very appealing. the wine and what i'm assuming are musks are very nice and the whole thing is so incredibly dry. dry on skin this is a weird phenomenon. what i'm getting from hunter moon is bottom notes only. i keep snuffing at it, thinking i'm going to get a glittering top note, but there isn't one. it's very dark and thick, but not heavy at all. two hours later there's a not-quite-fruity, not sweet wine, sort of a dry red with no tang. i really like this. and i'd like to experiment with layering, because i think this would make an excellent candidate with its strong, strong bottom notes.

i also have an allergy to almonds (they make the skin in my mouth blister), but i've never had any problems with any type of almond oils on my skin. whatever kills me in the nut isn't present in the oil. that doesn't mean that the same holds true for your BF, though. since it's not an allergy which is going to kill him if you goof up, there's no sense in not experimenting.

in the bottle the daughters and i all agreed on this one: STRAWBERRY! it's a very pleasant strawberry, though, subdued and almost sinuous. very enjoyable. wet on skin bright, juicy strawberry, a bit overripe and heavy with juice dry on skin the brightness is fading (i think that's the neroli) and it's a sweet, fruity, not-so-strawberry smelling scent two hours later quite sweet and subdued, not powdery or plasticky at all. i might like to layer another oil over this, maybe something with a tart bite like a single note lemon.

in the bottle omg, i want to have sex with this scent. it's like oatmeal and honey and almond and *drools* it's seriously killing me with its pretty. wet on skin *tries not to gnaw off own arm* this is the scent you wouldn't want to wear around those people who want to eat anything that smells like yummy food. it would incite cannibalism. dry on skin NO! yuck, it smells like milk. the oats and honey and almond are still there, but there's an icky creamy agent just arrived to make my stomach turn slightly. two hours later just a whiff of honey. that milk smell really turns me off this one. which makes me want to cry. fortunately, i already promised it to my mum anyway.

fenris wolf The raw, untamable power of chaos. Rosewood, amber, red musk and a dribble of red sandalwood. in the bottle mmmm.... thick and fragrant and incensey. i'm almost tempted to slop some of this on right now, but i won't. wet on skin N/A, i couldn't smell it this morning. at all. stupid sinuses. dry on skin well. i'm not crazy about this. it's nice right up next to my skin, but it keeps throwing musk and, to a lesser degree, amber at me. the woods are divine, though. it's like the fragrant inside of a wooden box, a bit cedary, but not that pungent. two hours later same, excellent wear. i think this is a more a lad's scent. a bookish sort of gent who enjoys a cognac after dinner with a large tome and a cigar. maybe a gay sort of gent who enjoys a cognac after dinner with a large tome and a cigar. (go away, amber!!) e.t.a. someone just came in to my office smelling strongly of jasmine and sweetened fenris up a lot. maybe i could play with some layering this one. at present, i'm afraid it's just too dry for my taste.

santa eularia des riu in the bottle this is strongly fruity, but sweet and somehow subdued. wet on skin herbs! and the citrus smells like red grapefruit, quite tart. there's a lurking reek of lavender here that i'm not digging. dry on skin the lavender has backed off and the citrus, too. i smell clean, pungent, triple milled and very fine herbal soap. not in a nasty, soapy way, but in a i-just-bathed-with-$20 soap way. not that i condone this? but you could totally wear this when you haven't got time in the morning to shower and no one would know. two hours later same, nice wear.

in the bottle well... it's totally not what i was expecting. it's a fairly heavy floral-y scent with gobs of fruit, which trick my brain into thinking there's no floral going on at all. only there is. it's... well, it's very well named, because the hallmark of this scent is balance. and i think i really, really like it? but i'm not sure yet! wet on skin it's fruit! it's floral! it's fruit! it's brilliant, is what it is. dry on skin i can smell all the individual notes here. it's amazing. they even out so nicely that none of them are jarring, but i can feel my nose sliding between rose, cherry, carnation, etc. i need a gallon of this stuff. two hours later the rose is a bit stronger than the other players, but they're all still here. good wear. thumbs way, way, way up.

akuma in the bottle it's bubble gum with a bite. sweet, strong, but not overpowering. wet on skin pink candy. sweet, luscious pink candy. *drools a little* dry on skin it's mostly raspberry now, with just a touch of citrus. i actually want to take a bath in akuma.

embalming fluid in the bottle ooooh, very nice. i really like this. i wasn't sure on my first sniff at work, but my second, more thoughtful sniff was more effective. this is an intensely green scent, lemon and green herbs. it's perhaps a bit too light and i bet it doesn't have a lot of staying power. but it sure is pretty. wet on skin lemon and green tea, an incredibly light, tart, almost ethereal scent. dry on skin there's the aloe! it's lost its yellow lemon smell and gone right over to green. there's a little bit of a bitter fade that actually works with the tartness of the lemon. two hours later completely gone.

arcana in the bottlei'm getting lots more of the frankincense off this; it's incredibly incense-y, but the fruit is there, too. i was hoping for more rosemary and verbena, but who knows what this will do on my skin. wet on skin lemon, all the way. it's a bright, sweet lemon and oh-so-very lemony. it doesn't smell like food or like lemon scented cleaning supplies, it's much cleaner than that. triple milled citrus soap. with sugar. dry on skin sweet herbal lemon. the rosemary and lavender are coming out a bit, but it's almost entirely lemon on me. two hours later it's gone slightly powdery, but still has a nice sweet lemon smell. this one is a winner.

wrath in the bottle ha! i called this one (i sniff with no reference to the lab's description). my notes say "cinnamon and dragon's blood". it's nice, warm and incense-y. wet on skin erm... well... it's not that i don't like it. it's just that it... smells like clean band-aid. or, really, how band-aids used to smell when i was a kid. there's something plasticky here. it's sort of nostalgic and all? but i'm not sure i need to smell like this particular childhood memory. dry on skin it's mostly dragon's blood, with a little kick from the spices. band-aid's still there. one hour later it's sedate and vaguely sexy, or would be, if i could just kick the smell of band-aids. it's very faint, but still there. two hours later pure dragon's blood, but very pretty, sweet. i guess it's a good thing i happen to enjoy dragon's blood! and best of all? no band-aid!

snake oil in the bottle i was really worried about the vanilla in this, as i'm put right off by vanilla. but, however, the resinous oils are strong enough that the vanilla just serves to sweeten them up a tad. it's a light scent with a little anise/rootbeer waft. i have to reserve judgement until i can get it on my skin. wet on skin wow! explosion! it's wickedly thick and potent and i'm not sure what exactly i'm smelling here. it's spicy, but not at all like cooking spices. is there vetiver? i swear, this is like a living thing, expanding. dry on skin/two hours later there's absolutely no change after two hours. it's strong, round, rich, and cologne-y. i'm getting a lot of different smells: vanilla, patchouli, vetiver, something dry and lemony, ... pepper? crazy. it's totally not me, but i actually like it a lot. might have to make it more me. eta i just reapplied. i'm hooked on this!

hollywood babylon in the bottle this is sweet and saucy. my initial impression: "evil fruit, dark and vaguely musky". wet on skin strawberry and cherry, but very ripe and heady. i can't smell the vanilla, but i can feel it in my nose. dry on skin amber, amber, amber. and a little fruit. two hours later it smells a bit candle-y, but it's a nice candle. not sure if i'd actually wear this. i think it would make a really nice incense.

delirium in the bottle this smells of orange and rose. it's very bright, but maybe a bit too rose-y. i'll have to try this one out. wet on skin why, hello there, lemon! dry on skin this smells a lot like the body shop's "lemon tea", only a bit sweeter for the rose, not so dry. i happen to really like "lemon tea" except that i find it too dry and husky, so this is nice. two hours later gone, poof, no more smell. it did linger on my shirt sleeve, though, and it's gone to quite a tart, not-unpleasant rose smell.

black phoenix in the bottle wow. it's incredibly warmly spicy, RICH, and completely marvelous. wet on skin ew. the spiciness in this flees away and it becomes a very heavy, chartreuse smelling potion, not unlike an expensive but rather overly-strong cologne dry on skin huh. well, it's still cologne-y, but there's a bit of something spicy, maybe clove? it sweetens up the whole thing a bit, but only makes it tolerable, not enjoyable. i smell like one of those cologne bathers without the headache induction. two hours later nope. now it's just faded and the spicy smell is gone again. gutted. i swooned over this in the bottle.

Thanks so much, I did the same I used paypal thru CCNOW, I guess I should have slowed down in my excitment to place an order and read more carefully. Thank you to all who answered. i did the same thing with my most recent orders (three times *ahem*), so don't worry. you could've been sillier (like me). the guilt is only mildly crippling.

march hare A twisted teatime tart: apricot and sweet clove. in the bottle i adore it! it's fruity, bright, sharp, and a little silly smelling. wet on skin where'd the apricot go? clove clove clove. good thing i like clove. dry on skin hmm, fascinating. it's apricot, it's clove, it's apricot, it's clove. okay, it's a little bipolar, but i find it fun. two hours later it's apricot and clove again, the apricot rounding out the clove and vice versa. it's a really well-balanced blend, once it's done being imbalanced. it doesn't seem to be sticking around, though. maybe it's my dry skin, but it's fading really fast.

jabberwocky in the bottle fantastic! i guessed juniper and neroli when i first whiffed it. it's warm and christmassy, oddly enough. i adore this. wet on skin it smells like cedar. and a little more cedar. amping pine. it's so fresh, though! it smells like actual evergreen resin, not fake pine-sol-y candles. dry on skin the orange is peeking through, taking the sharpness off the pine. the only hint of eucalyptus i'm getting here is a soft sweetness. two hours later there's the orange! spectacular. and the eucalyptus, too. it's a very pretty, almost masculine scent, very clean. love this.

in the bottle butter, butter, butter, and a little something else that smells almost, but not quite, like popcorn. wet on skin the clove comes out to play and picks up the peach on its way. the nutmeg is a fairly small note. i LOVE this phase of jack. dry on skin the buttery smell (which i guess is actually the pumpkin) is gone and the peach and spices are throwing a party. two hours later the nutmeg is gone completely, but the peach is still lingering slightly and the clove has no intention of ever going home. my caveat: i don't know whether i matured or jack did, but this smelled like burning garbage, possibly carrion and cabbage, when i first sniffed the imp a year ago. i hated it. my family hated it. my daughter wore it on halloween to smell more like a filthy pirate. and she reeked. i was bashing jack in someone else's journal and decided to go give it a whiff, to remind myself of how completely nasty it was. only it wasn't. it was wonderful and glorious and i used up the imp within the next month after that. it is my signature BPAL scent at this point. or would be, if i had any left. i'm waiting for a 5ml. bottle from the lab and preparing myself for the possibility that it won't be nice when i get it and i might have to wait a few months before i can wear it again. edited to change format

i'm so pleased that someone on an earlier page mentioned this, because i was afraid it was just me and my wonky body chemistry, but ultraviolet smells exactly like kitty litter on me, to the point where my children and other random people say "what smells like cat litter??" it's a shame, because it smells lovely in the bottle, but on me there's an acrid, ammonia cum violet smell that's just chemical-y and awful. as much as i'd enjoy using this is a room scent (because it's really chilly and wow away from me), i passed it on to one of my daughters who can use it and enjoy it. edit to add: proper review of my ultraviolet v1.0 in the bottle lavender and violet, sharp. wet on skin same, only moreso. and uglier. dry on skin i have been assured by my daughters that i smell exactly like kitty litter. stupid violet. two hours later same, but quieter. my caveat: my newer frimp (v2.0) of ultraviolet is deliciously minty and eucalyptus infested, which my old one isn't and never was. i haven't tested it yet.