surf-tormented

In vial and wet on my skin: Smells like toothpaste. It reminds me of Escential Essences Energy oil. Or Ultraviolet without the violet. Just Ultra then? Drying: I don't get much lime or other notes in this. I get an eucalyptus note, mint and a very slight light leather. I was hoping for more leather. Overall: It smells a bit like manly toothpaste. From the description, one would think the leather would be the dominant note, then the mint. But all I smell is somewhat refreshing toothpaste and that isn't really what I was hoping for. The leather note, if you can smell it, is no more than a wisp at best on me. Passing the imp along to someone that has the skin chemistry to bring the leather out more.

#83 It smells like peppery fruit in the bottle and when I apply it wet, smells certainly of some dominant note from BPTP's Cathouse spray! Almost like magnolia, deep fruit and spice. Then, it switches gears and smells strangely metallic. Like silver metal, fruit, Deep South flowers and pepper, all together, none of the notes too strong. Later on, I get an almost vanilla-ish coolness. Sort of like Hypothermia but with fruit and spicy flower. I really like it!

In vial and wet on skin: Booze and sharp smoke! Drying: Smells very smutty. Like you are in a bar in the bad part of town. It's not sweet on me at all, just a mix of leather note, heavy booze and wall-to-wall smoke. Later: The laudanum make it a bit sweeter. I sort of liked it being only booze and smoke. It reminds me a bit of Posset's Montana but with a sweet chocolate under note. After about an hour, it gets an interesting men's cologne bent to it. It's really a nice blend. Overall: I have a lot of perfumes with smoke, leather and booze in them, so I would probably pass on this one. But I am happy to have tried it and recommend it to people who like smokey sweet scents that are also leathery and boozy. Even later: You know, this is going a bit too sweet on me. Dammit!

In vial and on skin: Melon! Drying: Citrusy sweet melon with a breath of floral. I have no idea where the other notes are! It's natural honeydew with some orange and cherry blossom flowers in the breeze. Overall: It's quite nice. Don't know if I would seek a bottle out, but it is good.

Smells a lot like sun tan oil to me and like another reviewer said, BBW Coconut Lime Verbena. Very tropical and sunny, but not for me!

In vial and on skin, wet: Doctor's office? Menthol, anyone? It would be a nice blend when you have a cold! Drying on skin: Rich woody menthol goodness. It does have a slight sweetness to it, like a honey tobacco. The wood and menthol are keeping it from going to sweet on me. It's thick feeling, which I like. It doesn't last on my skin though...once it is dry, it's is only the remnants of honey tobacco...what was that, like 15 minutes? Strange! Overall: I wish it would last longer. But then again, where would I find a reasonable priced bottle of this now? The dry down reminds me of Cobalt's Scorching Entity.

It does smell like Nosferatu without the mint. But as it dries, I do get earth, leather and smoke. There is a creepy sort of bright citrus in the back of this. I am not sure what it is, fizzy grapefruit? When it is done drying, it has a weird bubblegum finish under the earth and smoke notes. Maybe the tiniest bit of drying rotten fruit and spicy pepper? Ok, maybe it isn't anything like Nosferatu! I would probably buy a bottle of this if it came out with the same notes. If not, I don't have the fundage to get a bottle at a Trunk Show, if that is even possible. It's a pretty complex blend and would probably work on both men and women.

Smells like cold fruit. Nice, sweet and watery, but not too sweet. As it dries, the flowers come out, also frozen. It would be good to wear on a fiery summer's day to combat the World of Fire! I would say if you like perfumes like Ulalume, Ice Queen or your florals slightly smokey and icy at the same time, this one is for you! It's a very regal icy scent overall with all the smoke, floral and fruit sitting nicely at the back. Doesn't remind me personally of vetiver, more a slight resin. Very slight.

Pros: It smells like a very fancy French soap! Cons: It smells like a very fancy French soap! If you like herbal French soap, you will love this. If you don't, pass it by. But it is what it is. Fancy herbal soap. No bad mildew, no fungus, just fancy French soap!

The Fool's perfume: apple blossom, peppermint, allspice, and yellow sandalwood speckled with grave loam and clods of grave dirt. In the vial: Sweet grassy dirt. On skin, wet: Pure Graveyard Dirt. Drying: Ooh, something medicinal, minty...minty grassy dirt! It really reminds me of another perfume I own...ok, probably Graveyard Dirt! <img src="http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/magtongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="magtongue.gif" /> I didn't want to be that boring, but oh well. Ok, it reminds me also of Goth Rosary's Graveyard scent now that it is drying. Like another reviewer said, I'd also grab for the Worm Moon or Graveyard Dirt first, since their perfume is a bit pricy and I have no need for the tarot card. I might if it was a full Minor Arcana set of 22 cards, but a 15 card tarot deck is a bit weird to me and I wonder what they are excluding, since seven cards have to be excluded...it makes the deck uneven and probably hard to read from. Yes, it is really like Goth Rosary's Graveyard. If you like scents like Graveyard Dirt and don't have it, the Fool would be a great substitute since GD isn't available anymore.

Thorns smells very close to Dragon's Bone on me. I have Dragon's Bone on my right wrist and Thorns on my left. Thorns is the tiniest bit darker and saltier, but the difference is so tiny, it would be hard for me to buy a bottle of this, since I already have Dragon's Bone. I guess I've been buying BPAL oils since 2003 and with their large catalog, there are more and more of these scents that almost smell the same on my skin. But in saying that, I like both Thorns and Dragon's Bone. If you like Dragon's Blood and salty blends, this could be for you. If you already have a bottle of Dragon's Bone, then I'd get an imp first, because they are so close in scent. I like Thorns for being salty, somewhat smokey and with a weird sweet angle. Too bad other people don't like it, if I didn't have Dragon's Bone, I'd buy a bottle of Thorns!

Morphs into a not too sweet yet smokey pear floral on me, I know it is gardenia, but not GARDENIA, as many other perfumes do on my skin. There is a good backdrop of herbs like lavender and wood to this blend, but pear and gardenia are the stars of the show. I finally found a pear perfume that isn't completely sweet to me, most of the other ones I have seen have honey, sugar or cream in them. So I am happy I found this one. I would recommend this to people who like garden scents, along with lavender or pear lovers. Or those who like unusual scents, for this one is very unusual in its notes and scent.

This is what I would like Snake Oil to be...it's a foody scent but a very unconventional one. And it reminds me of another perfume I can't place, probably a Cobalt Blends oil with a honeyed amber in it maybe Headless Gingerbread Man or Agni...not sure. I'll probably test the rest of my sample and see what my brain comes up with as far as comparisons. It is really honey on my skin, but spicy honey with sharp chai spices and a very slight coconut/sweet wood note. There is something a bit green and organic in there too, but I couldn't phantom right now what that would be. Slight tobacco too under it all, like another reviewer stated. I'd recommend it for fans of Snake Oil and those who like the Cobalt Blends with amber in them. I'd also say if you like the concept of Snake Oil, but it doesn't work with your skin, try this one. It's complex and would make a good summer scents for those who don't like overly sweet or fruity summer oils.

In the vial and on skin: Very sandalwood. As it dries: Smoky sandalwood with natural coconut. It's a nice and deep scent that lies close to the skin as to not bother co-workers. But I think I may swap or sell this to someone who will love it more than I do because it is so rare. Ok, minutes later, it really smells like Death Adder with a more sandalwood base. Very Snake Oil-ish.

CCCLV: It smells a bit grassy and floral with a sort of honey tea note. It's very sweet on me! Oh, here comes the cinnamon. Now it's very sweet spicy honey tea. It is definitely for the food lover.

This smells so great in the vial. It smells of burning, gunpowder, a strong electric current and destruction. My skin says "Gimme!". But on, once it soaks into my skin, it smells a bit like Ekhidna or other blends with a smoky patchouli in it. Basically, once dry, it smells like only patchouli, like that note ate up all the yummy burning and destruction. It also smells to me a bit like Smokestack, probably because of the creosote note they share. But Sky City (After) doesn't morph on skin the way that Brimstone or Djinn (this blend's distant cousins) do to make it deliciously burnt wood, smoke and ash on my skin. I may try this in a locket to see if it will keep its scent that I smell in the vial. If not, it is a HUGE disappointment to me. If you find Djinn, Brimstone or Smokestack too harsh but like the idea behind the perfume, Sky City (After) could be for you, I guess, if you can find it. Again, I thank kind swappers for letting me even sample these!

I bought a bottle of this based on two things I read in reviews: 1) It lasted a long time. 2) It ends up smelling like old books. And one thing from myself: 3) VETIVER! All three points ending up being winners for me. Glad this review spot is here. I should use it more often when I have 2-3 scents I want and only the money for one. It reminds me of a smokier version of Violette Market's White Petal. Jasmine and sandalwood musk play the key roles at first, but the tea and smoky vetiver balance it out with a bit of spice from other notes. Though there is rose in the perfume, it adds nicely to the game and doesn't overtake the blend. There is a slight citrus edge to it too. It is a complex scent and makes me feel like I am in a big luxurious bedroom with a wooden floor, on a bed with a big vase of sweet yet spicy flowers and a tray with a cup of fruity jasmine tea on it, reading an old dusty leather bound book with browning dog-eared pages. It's very atmospheric and lasts a long time. I put it on before I go to bed and still can smell it the next day behind my ears and in my hair. It's a keeper. Thanks, kind reviewers, for letting me know about this one.

This will be a short review, but to me, it smells like a food scent that isn't foody. It might be a contradiction, but it has a cupcake frosting sort of feel, without being too sweet. It gives the impression of pink frosting, but the anise makes it spicy and warm. I am glad the anise is the strongest note, I feel it would smell like frosting if it wasn't there, due to the cherry, vanilla and sugary violet notes. The perfume conjures up a real old timey Victorian cupcake to me, where anise was used in the frosting. And so pretty with its rose, orange blossom and violet petals on top. Velvet softness and spice, all the way. It is a womanly scent, Pink Mood, invoking the idea expressed on the label. Don't make explain my cupcake, spicy warmth and frosting metaphors. I didn't get a yeasty bread note, but I would laugh wholeheartedly if a yeast note was in there. I'd buy a bottle of this. I thought this line was up until the end of May, nope, end of April. I wish I would have gotten a tester before the line stopped being sold.

Got a sample of this in a package Fair Nymph sent me. *waves* In the vial: Heather, ocean breeze, clean linen, an almost tropical note, hard to place. On skin wet: Really smells like the ocean to me, with a slight note of fruit I can't seem to place under it, with the heather coming more into its own as it dries. On skin dry: I can definitely smell the moss coming out. It has a herbal almost cucumber like tone to it. The fruit note, whatever it is, is coming out juicy now. Citrusy. Overall: Smells like Scotland. Oh, the sweet memories. Now if they could just bottle a sheep's bleating then it would be perfect. Or maybe put a bit of a cloudless Scottish night where one can read a newspaper by midnight in the bottle. Would I buy it: Oh yes, I would, but where? I'm happy to just try it. I am giving some of the sample to angelicruin to try to share the love. I may put a tiny drop of it in one of my scent lockets, to enjoy it just a wee bit longer. It is actually working well on the scent l locket since I am wearing it now. I'll be wearing it for the next month. Ha-ha. This should be made part of the BPAL catalog.

I think this poor perfume is getting a bad rap. Oh, Narkissos, I know you are egotistical and go on my skin like a rancid hairspray...but that is only for a few scant moments...then you morph into a very heady sophisticated floral...ok, the scant moment is more like a 1/2 hour...but still! I like the way this smells, even the hairspray starter note isn't as bad on me as the same note in Sugar Moon and Ether...except this one blends in after awhile to make a very impressive floral on me. It's strong, it's not your baby sister's flower perfume, but it is pretty and lovely. Slightly smokey, slightly strong night blooming flowers, exotic blooms, dark greens and wood. I also smell the orange and daffodil that the previous review smelled. Maybe our skin chemistries are similar? Of course, loving opoponax like I do doesn't hurt! Everyone should give this a try if you get a sample and leave it on. Don't dismiss it wet on your skin, give it time to work its magic. It reminds me of heavy humid florals around a pond and fitting, since the Waterhouse painting on the label reflects that. Even the wood is more like trees that grow around a pond. This one is a winner and I noticed some other people (wrote my review with only the memory of Fair Nymph's and others bad reviews) agree with me. Well, I think most people don't like this, so you can buy or trade on the cheap! Double win!

Grief smells EXACTLY like AIRS' Rain perfume oil on me. I put Rain on one wrist and Grief on the other and couldn't tell the difference. I guess it might be the Lily of the Valley note that is in both blends. It tends to dominate on my skin with both perfumes. As they dry, Grief is a bit more green than Rain and Rain more ozone...but not by that much. So odd. Still, I'll keep the partial bottle I traded for, since I love AIRS' Rain and my boyfriend, who seldom likes perfume, likes Rain too, so he'll probably like this one as well.

Smells like tin foil in the imp. Really metallic and nice. On skin wet, it is a mix of metal and ozone. Behind that, is a clothesline/rain freshness. As it dries...it becomes fuller...drops the rain/clothesline scent for a thicker, men's cologne type scent, though it is better than those words...slightly metallic, ozone, wood and whiff of wet floral cotton. Ends with almost a very light berry type rain scent. The finish is great, wish it would stay a bit longer. It's not a sweet fruit, but more of a metal ozone dry fruit...if you can imagine that. I like it, but I think it reminds me of another perfume I have in my collection, can't remember what one it is though. Glad I got this with my bottle of Crop Circles. I'll keep the imp because it is the most "metal" of any BPAL oil I have tried, especially sniffed in the imp.

Got this as a freebie with a Lab Ebay order...wow, seven frimps with my bottle...I didn't think I would even get one because I won an auction, seven in fantastic! I got this as one of those frimps. In the vial: Sweet tea, from the South. But it isn't overly SWEET, just a touch of honey/sugar can be sniffed. I want to add I really don't like scents that are heavy on the sugar and honey, if there are notes of those in the blend and though this gives me a sweet tea vibe, it isn't overly sweet. It might be tea and sweet florals coming out. Wet on skin: Sweet tea, then a whiff of wood and floral, mostly violet and sandalwood. Later on: It morphs into a lovely tea blend. After 15 minutes, I can definitely smell tea still, it is the dominant note on my skin, but it layers well with the florals and sandalwood/frankincense. The violet calms too, bringing up the other floral notes. The wood/resin doesn't overpower the tea/floral, so everyone plays nice, making this a fantastic perfume that could be worn on many difference occasions since it isn't super strong. A work to play perfume. Impressions: It smells very clean and innocent, though it is called Harlot's House! Maybe it is the house of the hooker with the heart of gold? It captures the essence of the Wilde poem, lust might be tempered by love. Though I think Wilde was making the point that Love and Lust could co-exist and Lust could be a heart felt emotion. But the thought is frightening to Victorian society, hence Dawn running like a frightened girl. Yeah, this blend is innocence at its least innocent. Close to Lust, but blending with it. Innocent lust? Throw: Ok, not the greatest. Length: I would say a little less than average. Overall: A great tea blend. Great if you like tea blends like The Dormouse, The Apothecary, Embalming Fluid or Shanghai, especially if you like your tea with a touch of sweetness, comforted with woods, earthy florals and a tiny bit of resin.

This smells EXACTLY like if I layered Kathmandu and Djinn on top of each other. It has the great BBQ smokiness of Djinn couple with the weird minty candy cigarette smell of Kathmandu. I have both of these scents (Djinn, Kathmandu) as well as the imp of this scent. I think I'm pretty set!

I love the goddess Pomona and jumped at the chance to own this one. But it reeks on me. I don't know if you can image very strong artificially flavored apple-cinnamon candle...like one of those Glade Plug-ins where it is foody and sickeningly sweet. Like something an old lady would put in her house and enjoy it while guests come and get sick from it because the poor girl has lost her scene of smell. Or else someone got some Red Apple Wreath Yankee Candles and just went for it!!! It's a really overpowering gross smell, the only thing worse for it, is caramel apple candles, ick. I put it on, waiting for the fresh apple drydown and it never comes. I have had some pumpkin oils I hated and then aged them a couple years and the sweetness really mellowed, but I am not sure if it would happen here. I am not really sure what note in this makes it reek. I was thinking on me maybe it is the nut note. It smells really fake, though I am sure the components in it aren't. I was going to use this for Mabon as opposed to Halloween, but I may just sell it. Perhaps someone will love this more than I have, for I can barely put a dot on before I want to scrub it off. My boyfriend always greets me with a sneering "What's that smell?" when I wear most BPAL and in this case, I would get his snarky comments. This does reek and smells like cheap room spray. Or that I rolled around in cheaply scented candles. I sort of get it now. Did I get a bottle of Stinky by mistake? For this is Stinky! But for all her faults, Pomona wants me to keep it...again hopefully this one will age and get rid of its stinky edges in the future.