VioletChaos

In The Bottle: I'm getting mostly the bright, sharp smell of tobacco flower. Also a tiny hint of the patchouli, but really, the tobacco is the star of the show, at least at this early juncture. Wet On Skin: I get what folks are saying about it being "heady". That comes through right away. At this point it's coming across as very masculine to me, like a gentlemen's cologne. It's also got a sweetness that is starting to come through that might be the vanilla absolute. I hope so! *fingers crossed* Dry Down: Wow. Just...wow. It morphed, and now it's all vanilla, teak and patchouli on me. I get the Opium comparison, though on me the sandalwood and other rich notes are combining in a way that makes it more sexy (if you can believe it) and less perfume-y. In All: Low to medium throw, a deep rich scent that will find itself at home both in the boudoir and also, for the right person, in the boardroom. Basically anyplace you wanna close a deal Glad I got this before it disappeared!

In The Bottle: I'm getting what I think others have described as magnolia- a soft, very gentle floral- but to me it smells like ylang ylang. Very soft and lovely. I also get a touch of lavender and a light touch of that herbal greenery. Overall initial impressions are very soft, gentle and sweet. Wet On Skin: Yes, the lemon is coming out. This reminds me of a cakey lemon, like the strawberry Shortcake Lemon Merangue dolls. It's sweet and lemony, but again, very gentle. It's also reminicient of Mustella Baby Perfume, which I used to spray myself with during hot NYC summers. Very light and not over bearing Dry Down: Lemon-Baby's Breath-Musk. In All: Medium throw, not overpowering in the least. This gives me the same comforting feeling I get from wearing TAL's White Light and also a similar "comfort" vibe that I get from Dragon's Milk. I've only had it on a short while, so I don't know yet about long-term talismanic benefit, but it's off to a beautiful start! Glad I have a bottle of this special blend!

In The Bottle: the cacao is strong with this one (said in Yoda voice). I'm also getting a hint of something spicy which i think is mostly the ginseng and a hint of the saffron bringing up the rear. Not a bad start! Wet On Skin: Wow! That morphed completely! Now I'm getting all spice and some incense quality to it. I'd say it's the ginseng/yohimbe combo and something vaguely lemony, which I think might be the grains of paradise. Dry Down: This is reminding me of the lemon-ironwood combo from one of the original Tiki blends, with a touch of the smokiness of leather and waaay in the background the cacao/vanilla absolute combination gives a hint- just a hint of sweetness. but make no mistake, this is NOT a foodie blend in any way. In All: Low to medium throw, definitely an "incense" kind of blend. This has a more "serious" feel than usually comes with a 13 scent, and I welcome the change, as I almost always wind up trading my 13 blends after I'be worn them a few times. this one, though, is a keeper. Hold onto it- I have a feeling this is going to be very sought after.

In The Imp: Oh YEAH, this sure is tomato leaf1 I grew up with tomatoes growing in the back yard every summer, and this is the smell, alright. Wet On Skin: Wow. Just...wow. The green of the leaf, the slight sweetness of a sunwarmed tomato, it's all here. Dry Down: This is the tomato I wanted Ushi to be and just wasn't on me. Warm and green and just like being in a veggie garden in mid summer. In All: Just lovely.

In the Imp: Wisteria and a hint of wine. Yum! Wet On Skin: I'm getting the cognac, which is a note I ADORE, plus wisteria and maybe the tiniest hint of lilac. Dry Down: A grape-y wine, cognac and wisteria making a rich heady incense-y mix. Just lovely! In All: I get why so many folks say this smells "purple". It really does somehow Low to medium throw, a darker floral that would work all year round, depending on occasion. I hope I can find a bottle!

I have been waiting YEARS to try this. Thanks to an awesome swap with *butterflybynight* I now have a BOTTLE. Here's hoping it's everything I hoped it would be! *fingers crossed* In The Bottle: All buttery caramel, all the time. This reminds me very much of Hearth, one of the first BPALs I ever had. I wanted to love it, but the pesky pine note kept getting in the way of all the yummy sugar butter. So maybe my dreams shall be realized! Wet On Skin: the butter is fading back a bit at this stage and the sugar is amping, which is typical with my skin- I always amp the sugar notes. Dry Down: Brown Sugar, up down and sideways. In All: Low throw, a close-to-the-skin scent. This is the same sugar note to be found in Sugar Skull and on me, smells nearly the same. I was hoping for more butter, like in Shill, or more cream, like Glowing Vulva or Love's Philosophy. I may in fact mix this with LP and Shill and see what happens Overall a nice sugar scent, but a little less than I'd hoped for. Sigh...

A very, very big thank you to my Angel, Gypsy Rose Red for making all my Bat's Day wishes come true this year! In the Bottle: Yes, I also get that cream-amber undernote from Glowing Vulva here. There's also something that smells like a note from Love's Philosophy, though no vanilla or cream notes are listed. Huh. Wet On Skin: Something of the spiciness of this reminds me of that spice-cream combo I get from Chimera. I think it might be the spice and amber together that are doing it. but amber usually goes to baby powder death on me, so I'm both thankful and also curious Dry Down: This is a beautiful spicy skin musk, with tiny hints of citrus and amber wafting through. I get no gardenia from this, but it's a really special, very feminine scent. I, too, see wearing this throughout the warm months. In All: Very low throw- I slathered this and I still had to put my wrist up to my nose to smell it- but that adds to the sweet and feminine qualities of this scent. A bit of spice, a touch of cream. Something ephemeral, magickal, is happening here, and I like it. A lot. Total keeper.

A very warm thank you thank you to my Angel, Gypsy Rose Red for making all my Bat's Day wishes come true this year! This was the '11 Goth scent I was most excited about, because I love the BPAL Rose notes a LOT. Here's hoping! *fingers crossed* In The Bottle: A "green" sort of rose, like one that has not fully bloomed yet but is still mostly in it's bud, so the hint of rose is there, but mostly it's the stem that is fragrant. Maybe a touch, just a slight touch of the opium. But mostly that green/rose note. Wet On Skin: The rose is starting to bloom I'm also getting a little bit more of the opium undercurrent. But it's really subtle, not the in your face stuff I'm used to with that note. Dry Down: Wow. This is a great, solid rose perfume. It's dark and rich, but definitely still rose. I get little to no leather in here, unless it's just lending it's spice to the general undertone of the blend. And the opium is still there, but still only in the background. This is a dark blend, but not sinister. and not necessarily sexy, either. Rich and warm to be sure, but still a rose at heart. In All: Low to medium throw, this is a perfect counterpoint to something like Victorian Rose Milk, which, for the record, is my favorite Rose scent ever. Vamp.goth feels like the shadow side to that scent, though. As much as i love Rose Milk, sometimes she seems too light for how I'm feeling. This one allows me to indulge my love of Rose but still go to dark depths. A great Goth Rose.

Again, a very warm thank you to my Witch and Angel, Gypsy Rose Red for making all my Bat's Day wishes come true this year! Now, this was the Goth scent this year who's description intrigued me the most, to be sure. I didn't get it because I was positive I'd want to wear it, but because I figured it would be the most *interesting*. Let's see how it goes, shall we? In The Bottle: YUM. This to my nose is a sexy, slightly smoky amber. Like, petrified tree sap kind of amber. I'm thinking that is likely the myrrh, opoponax and leather all working in combination. whatever it is, I'm digging it! Wet On Skin: the sexiness continues. Wait, did I say sexy? I meant DEAD sexy. Usually myrrh turns to dirty baby diaper with too much powder on me, but I think the other notes are somehow magically holding it in check. *fingers crossed for the dry down* Dry Down: Oh, HELL yeah! This is fantastic. Leather sometimes amps on me, but here it's just lending a hint of smokiness. I'm not getting any of the latex, which I'm a bit sad about, but this is just a really sexy, heady, spicy scent. In All: Medium throw, gender neutral and sexy. Did I mention sexy? This is one to wear out to the clubs or to a night of seduction, for sure. And I can tell this will only get better with age. Like "Voodoo Queen is still my all-time drop-dead favorite but this might be a close second" kind of better-with-age. Total. Win. :wub:

A very warm thank you again to my Witch and Angel, Gypsy Rose Red for making all my Bat's Day wishes come true this year! xoxo In the Bottle: Yep- that's AquaNet, alright! It's a sweet, sticky chemical floral that makes me surprisingly nostalgic for LA's Helter Skelter, the first goth club I ever went to, some 20 years ago...sigh. *ahem!* pulled from reverie, here's the rest of the review Wet On Skin: This light green oil has gotten very, very herby, actually. i think it's the olibanum note. Very green and sharp, like BPAL's Fern note. It's a bit of a surprise from what it was in the bottle, but I'm intrigued. Dry Down: Ah yes, there's the spicy benzoin. It reminds me a tad of carnation and also of the spice one gets from heliotrope, where it almost feels like the back of my throat is scratchy, if that makes sense. In All: A real morpher. Sweetly sexy, like Slade doing Ballroom Blitz. This oil strikes me as in the same family as Et Lux Fuit and Tarot: The Sun. Extremely high throw, the type that starts off quiet but gets stronger as the moments pass- do NOT slather or you will be in for a long day. This is one for late spring and throughout the summer. I can't personally decide if this scent is "me" but I'll hold onto it and see how I feel when Seattle actually warms up in another month. ETA- throw changes!

A very warm thank you to my Witch and Angel, Gypsy Rose Red for making all my Bat's Day wishes come true this year! xoxo On to the review! In the Bottle: A very light, clean lavender -like, essential oil kind of clean- and a sparkling touch of brass. Wet On Skin: The brass note is coming out more strongly. Usually I'm not a fan of the metallic notes, but this, mixing with the aftershave- which is now blooming- is just lovely. Dry Down: I understand the herby quality that Mellifluous was talking about, but to me it comes across as a really good Victorian men's cologne. This is where the metal note really comes in handy- this might be too floral for anyone but a Dandy, but the Brass really grounds the scent, makes it have a depth it would be lacking otherwise. In All: Light throw and subtle, but definitely with it's own presence. This is actually the only one of the five 2011 Goth scents my boyfriend purchased, and, while I am not interested in wearing this mySelf, I'm very much looking forward to smelling it on him! A true Gentlemen's scent.

NINON: HER BATH Lavender and three ambers with rose otto, orris root, bourbon vanilla, and red sandalwood. OK, first of all, when I opened the box from the Lab, there was a sizeable oil stain on the inside of the box! Nothing in the contents were damaged or injured in any way, but I mention this to illustrate the over-the-top quantity of yummy liquid was mixed in to these bath salts, because THAT'S what caused the stain! the oils were literally bursting from the various envelopes that held them! what this means in the long run: well, for starters, I am a person that saves BPAL bath products for special occasions, to make them last longer. Anyone who treats this stuff as precious is bound to have some concerns about how long the fragrance will last, how quickly will these salts dry out, that sort of thing. what this level of saturation says to me, is that there is No need to worry- Ninon is going to be good for the long haul! Now, onto the scent. I knew immediately that I was going to want Ninon's perfume, but the lavender made me iffy on the salts, and amber notes frequently go all baby-powder on me. But if I was going to get a complete set of any courtesan, nino was the one. So I took the plunge. And am I glad I did!!! The lavender here is not the sleepy, snoozy lavender of, say, TKO. This is more what I think of with English Lavender, like, lavender cologne. the type that a handsome, and slighty cheeky nobleman would have worn to the court 160 years ago. A lovely and somehow slightly sexy lavender, in fact. the orris helps with the sexy part for sure- I can clearly smell the two interacting with each other, playing and balancing. Likewise, there's interplay between the vanilla, ambers and sandalwood that is really, really special. The vanilla is less a presence than I would expect from a Bourbon varietal. Here it's more of a support for the amber and sandalwood to play upon. About those two: it almost seems to me like I have to really focus on which of those two notes I want to smell more, and then I smell it! I don't know if that indicates that the two are so perfectly balanced or what, but it sure is interesting, not to mention beautiful. Thankfully, I'm getting NONE of the usual powder I experience with amber generally- I'm wondering if the salts are a good vehicle for those of us that usually get it all powdery?! THAT would be rather exciting! I'm also wondering if, like the oils, the salts will change and blend more over time. the vehicle might not lend itself so easilly to that, but it doesn't really matter, as Ninon's salts are fabulous as is. For the record, I've not gotten any rose at all from this, but perhaps that is something that will appear with aging as well. In all, total win.

In the Bottle: Yup, very orchid. I, too am seeing where the comparisons of this to Lune Noir are coming from- which is a scent I love, so I've got my fingers crossed! Wet On Skin: The orchid is strong and sweet, but yes, it's "black". This is no sunny orchid, for sure. I'm also getting a hint of the phlox note someone mentioned. That's an iffy one for me, but so far it's adding just a little depth and spice to the mix and not going powdery, so it's looking good. Dry Down: There's an edge of a green note, like a real sharp fresh herby green, like the dandelion sap from Strawberry Moon '09. but it's very subtle in here, not at the fore at all. Mostly it's the orchid being all sexy and pretty. This is indeed a very "perfumy" scent, reminding me some of the White Shoulders my aunt wore when I was a kid. but as much as I usually dislike scents that smell like Perfume, I really, really like this one. In All: low to medium throw, a classy scent for an evening out in late spring, or perhaps mixed with Smut for a midnight seduction A keeper!

In the bottle: WHOA, violet! Hi violet. Hello. Hi. Hi. Hi. You have my full attention! (there is a hint of creaminess that others mentioned, but the violet is SO intense that's it's like an afterthought. Wet On Skin: This stuff has CRAZY amounts of throw. I was testing another oil on my other hand and i had to put miss AF5 hand behind my BACK before i could smell the other one without it being tainted! the violet is pure and true. I, too, am reminded of C Howard's violet candies. the gum to be exact. It's strong and sweet like that. Not at all in a Faith way, which is very gentle by comparison. But I've been looking for a more "direct" violet, and i think this might be the one! *fingers crossed* Dry Down: I'm getting little hints of the gardenia in this, which makes me wonder if this was a proto for Le Serpent qui Danse. the violet in this isn't going all soapy the way it did in that blend though, so perhaps whatever third element is in that one is lacking in here. which is fine by me! In All: Despite the gardenia, this is still 98% straight violet. which i exactly what I was hoping for, so i'm super excited about it. Like I said, the throw is HIGH- i applied just a drop from the cap and whoa, nelly is it POWERFUL. this is a truly beautiful violet for those of us that are fans and i can see wearing it alone, layering it with another violet scent to amp up the note in that blend (like Ultraviolet, Faith or Marie) or else layering it with something that could use another touch of class (Like Victorian Rose Milk, B340 or possibly something totally different, like sugar Skull). In other words, this is very near a Single Note, so use in any manner you wish!

In The Bottle: soft vanilla butterscotch! Wet On Skin: More yumminess, but there's something else in here too- it's in the background, so it's hard to pin, but it's calling to mind the florals of late springtime when I was a kid. the stuff that blooms in nyc for three days right before it becomes unbearably hot Dry Down: Oh, this is GOOD. the florals have become more woodsy, and the vanilla/butterscotch combo has become less over the top foody, making for a warm, rich scent that is sweet but not in a i-wanna-chew-my-arm kind of way. more sexy, less cakey. In all: Low throw, warm and delectible. I'm finding that this proto of Hod is FAr better suited to my skin chemistry. the released version(s) amped some odd dark musk note that went all wet-cardboard on me. but this version is exactly what i'd hoped the release would be and wasn't. NOW i know what all the fuss is about!

Huh- usually the *slightest* hint of leather in a mix comes right out and amps up on me. This? I get none. What I DO get is a beautiful, sweet mix of lilac and plum. This isn't the uber-fresh lilac of Lilac Wood, this is definitely a softer, more perfume-y lilac. but the plum note seems to be the same juicy, candy-like sweet plum from Sugar Plum Fairy. After this scent has completely and totally dried down I'm getting just a razor's edge of the leather. It's not even enough to come across as leather, just enough to give a bit of salty balance to all the sweet. It might just be the scent equivalent to those yummy dried salty plums one can pick up in Chinatown in New York, in fact! I'm on the fence as to whether I'll get a whole bottle of this, but I have to say, there is something really unusual about this scent that keeps pulling me back in, again and again.

This was the thing I was most oveting from this recent trunk show and I owe a million thanks to marsmomma for getting this to me! In The Bottle: This is a *cream* alright. I get the rose, but then there's this other note that, in the bottle, anyway, smells like almond to me. Almond paste, actually. Marzipan. While that's confusing, I'm deterred in the least. Wet On Skin: Ah, there we go. The almond has left the building, and what remains is a soft milky rose. This reminds me of something my grandmother's sister would have had on her dressing table. something that would have made her skin luminous or softened her hands before bed. Dry Down: A soft, pink rose. I'm personally picky about my florals. I don't like most of them, but I've been in the modd for Rose as of late in particular, and I think this just scratched that itch! In All: Medium to Strong throw (I put just a drop on my hand and it's presence is noticeable) This is a rose's rose. A lady's rose. Not a rose in the garden, but one a Victorian Madame would have scented her sheets with. A keeper to be sure!

In the interest of total transparency, I'll say that I absolutely adored Strawberry Moon '09, but did NOT like the '05 version in the least. but based on the previous reviews, I was willing to take a chance, as this sounds closer to the one I love. Let's see how this pans out, shall we? In the Bottle: A slightly greener, but just as juicy version of '09. so far, so good Wet On Skin: Yes, I'm getting that sharp green edge for sure. It's very fresh. Not like wearing a fresh scent, but like I am actually IN the field of these lush strawberry plants. Spectacular. Dry Down: As angelicruin had happen, I, too, am getting a combination of soft strawberry and skin musk. It's very sweet, very gentle. I'm glad I have this now, because I know I'm going to wear this on Easter day to my family's house. It seems to be the perfect thing. In All: Light throw, pretty, a daytime scent to be sure. This also falls into the realm of what I would call a "child's" scent: fine for us grownups, but also something I'd have no problem letting a 7 year old wear if she wanted to. It won't replace my love of SM '09, but it's a great addition to the family

I was intrigued by the prior reviews enough to ask my WC angel marsmomma to pick one up for me. I will say I'm a little worried about what's being perceived as pine, but I'm hopeful. *fingers crossed* In the bottle: Yes, I too get the clove. and I can see where the balsa comparisons come into it. but at least at this point, it's smoky, not piney, at all. Wet On Skin: Wow. this is *really* spicy! It's got the clove...maybe some bay in there and I'm thinking the smokiness might actually be vetiver, not balsa. It's reminding me of the sweet smoke in Death of Autumn, which was all about that vetiver... Dry Down: Pure spice. the only other scent that I have in the spice family is Smiling Spider. Now, both these have clove as a main note. But whereas that scent is in the realm of Clove Cigarettes, this is more what it's namesake would imply, the spice markets of the Arabic world. Complex and heady, but somehow easily a daytime scent, there is a sweetness here that really makes this balanced. In All: Light throw, good for most times of the year. We're going into spring now, and I'm curious to see how this scent will "feel" on when it gets warmer. If not, I'll be favoring this all next fall and winter for sure.

Thanks to Dorian who swapped this imp to me! In the vial: delicious, yummy yummy yummy mint cream icing Wet On Skin: more of the same. I get how Shollin got chocolate mint, though. There's that fine type of good vanilla that can be interpreted as chocolate as well. I'm loving it so far, either way Dry Down: Yup, it's Peppermint Patty, alright. enough so that I kinda might need to run out to the grocery to get one! In All: low throw, and it fades quickly. I love this, but if I'm going to really make some time for it, it's going to require a full bottle, as I will have to do as many others talked about, which is slathering myself in it to make it last on my skin for any length of time...

Yup, this is pretty much exactly as awesome as I knew it would be. (Many thanks to Dark Alice for frimping me this!!! ) So, basically, I'm finidng that Gypsy Queen is like Crypt Queen's understated, brooding older sister. Where as the rose in Crypt sort of went dead-powder on me, Gypsy speaks of dried flowers keepsakes and love won and lost, perhaps due to tragedy. I get incense and the spiciness of carnation for sure, but it's mostly the smoky rose that's pulling me back again and again. Oh lordy, how do I fins a bottle of this?!?!? :wub:

In the imp: I get tons of green tea and a touch of the lemon verbena. Oh! This is just gorgeous! Wet On Skin: It's a dead ringer for tea with lemon at this stage, no sugar or cream. Crisp and floral, even though I'm getting only the two notes just mentioned. It seems rather dense, too, for such a light combination of scents. I'm really, really liking this so far. Dry Down: No flowers, no musk. This scent stays true on my skin. Years ago I had a friend who wore some commercial perfume who's main note was green tea. This is what it smelled like on her, but when I got a bottle, it smelled *nothing* like that on me. Leave it to BPAL to come up with a green tea note that works with my spicy skin chemistry! In All: Low to moderate throw, this is the perfect scent for a warm spring day, out in the sunshine, maybe having a picnic in the grass. I shall treasure my imp forever!

Happy Dance! i got this as a frimp in a recent BPTP order and I, too, hope for a formal release of this lovely room spray! I agree that this is predominantly rose. for me, it's more like a rose water than a rose oil. It's light and very fresh, but I wouldn't compare it to an actual garden or anything. This is something that would be found in a Lady's boudoir, for sure! I'm also picking up on the violet, but again, there's a freshness, a light quality to the florals all around that is just heart-breakingly beautiful. In all, perfect for the upcoming spring days- release big bottles, pleeeeze!

In the bottle: Mostly clean bright lavender, a bit of the amber making it sweet and the orris root adding a nice dry note. Wet On Skin: the lavender is starting to amp. At this point, this is not the sugar lavender of TKO or the English Lavender of Ninon's bath salts. This is straight up Spike Essential Oil Lavender. It's a bit much for me right now, but I can see that there's potential here. *Fingers Crossed* Dry Down: Oh, hello there, honey musk! I was wondering when you'd show up! The musk and amber are intertwining with each other in a fabulous, sweet heady way. Normally ambers go all baby powder on me, but the lavender seems to be doing a great job of keeping that element in check. If I put my nose right against my wrist, I get tiny, tiny impressions of both the Rose and Vanilla notes, but they're *extremely* ephemeral and fleeting. There is great potential here with all the tip-toeing notes and I have a strong feeling that this is one of those scents that will be much improved by againg, in the same way that aging is required to give scents like Snake Oil and Red Lantern their full depth. I look very forward to checking in with this oil in a month or two. In All: Medium to high throw, but it's deceptive- although strong, this is definitely a "skin" scent, and one is inclined to rub one's face against the surface containing the fragrance. Ninon becomes more and more sexy with every passing second but be warned: she is no shy violet, and should not be treated as such. in other words, I personally find this to be more of a "night" scent, something that will likely be too strong for daytime use. Unless you're bringing her along for an Afternoon Delight Because of her strength, I don't personally think I'll need more than her one bottle to last me, but I can see how others will find her hoard-worthy. Just Beautiful.

In the Bottle: Mostly honey, a bit of cognac, and a hint of tea (the tea is VERY reminicent of Dorian's tea, which, all things considered, makes perfect sense.) *fingers crossed* Wet On Skin: I'm getting the amber note from Et Lux Fuit someone else mentioned. I'm hoping it goes away quietly in the dry-down, because that could be a deal breaker for me. Dry Down: Well, it's somewhere between Et Lux Fuit and O now that it's dried completely. It doesn't have the Baby Powder of Death that Et Lux has, but there is something slightly grating for me with this scent. Also, I'd had hopes of the Bourbon Vanilla, the Cognac, the Tea Rose, and I get *none* of those things on my skin, at all. In all: Low to moderate throw, Sybil is a skin musk scent for those that adore the "sunshine" BPAL notes like amber and honey. But, considering how many people are simply dying for a little bit of this, I have to say I'm likely to swap my bottle so it gets the love it deserves and can't get from me.