tinyvulture

I just tested Tacitus' Phoenix before this one, and I love how they are both deep, complex resinous blends, yet totally different. Tacitus is all frankincense on me, while Herodotus here is a sweet mixture of myrrh and copal. I swear I'm noticing something tropical-fruity in the background, as well. The frankincense is noticeably absent. This is a warm, welcoming scent. Great throw, great staying power, and it gets sweeter over time.

Frankincense is the dominant note for me (Or is it olibanum? I thought they were the same thing), with the warmth of ambrette seed, and a touch of that "Coca-cola" scent that I sometimes get from resinous blends. I wasn't smelling the orange peel and clove at first, but I notice them after a few minutes when the frankincense mellows slightly. Reminiscent of an orange-clove soap I have (Lush, I think.) I'd love a candle with this scent, and it's quite pretty and comforting as a perfume oil as well. ETA Good staying power!

For DDLR, maybe Bliss layered with Chimera, for that sweet cinnamon aspect.

The oleander is actually the dominant note. I've not smelled oleander before, but I'd describe it as floral/herbal. It's definitely a floral, but it has soapy and medicinal qualities. It isn't my favorite, and I'd prefer it if the honey note was stronger.

I'm not sure what daphne flower smells like. Here we have the lab's gorgeous, golden honey note, plus a floral note that I'd describe as similar to a soft, warm, powdery white or pink rose, but a little sweeter and fruitier than a rose. It's absolutely lovely.

A homey, unpretentious blend of almonds and fresh apples. In the background, warm musk...something herbal (hawthorn?)...and after a few minutes, a gentle wafting of potpourri spices. Not in a harsh "craft store smell" kind of way...it mixes nicely with the other notes. Sadly absent are the smoke and patchouli. I still like this blend quite a lot. The nuts and apples definitely give it an autumnal quality so it lives up to its name.

Predominantly apples, nicely balanced with the scent of graveyard dirt. As a fan of foody scents, I've collected my share of cinnamon-spiced baked apple blends, but I really love this clean, crisp, fresh apple note as well. I'm not noticing the lab's "autumn leaves" note; it must be hidden underneath all the apples and dirt. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a fruit/dirt combination, because a little dirt goes a long way, for me. But All Hallow's Apple smells very autumnal, reminds me of going apple-picking at an orchard. Perfect for the season, and I'm glad I got my hands on a bottle.

I can rarely tell from the description whether or not I'll like a floral blend, but I got a decant of Le Revenant based on the previous reviews. So glad I did! Just like a big, fresh bouquet of white flowers...mostly gardenia, I think. No cognac...where are you, cognac? A happy, romantic blend. A bottle is in order. Oh how I would love single notes of narcissus, muguet, ambrette, davana...so I know just what I'm smelling (and loving!)

I was so curious to find out what this one smells like! And now that I know, I'm quite pleased with it. To me, it's very similar to one of my all-time favorite Halloweenies, Autumn in Meditation. I get that same scent of a candle flame being extinguished (waxy and smoky), plus clean ozone. Noctiphobia is a little sweeter than AiM...is that sweet lavender I'm smelling? For me, AiM has always evoked a stormy fall day, cozy indoors with candles burning and a good book (the perfect fall day.) Noctiphobia evokes that same image, but at night.

Hay...the same vaguely soapy, sweet hay note from Needle in a Haystack or Hay Moon. Plus lemon. Lots of lemon. At first application, the strong lemony vibe threatens to give me a headache, but I hope it will calm down if I ride it out for a minutes (because I ended up really liking those other hay blends.) A few minutes later...it's still hay and lemon. Off to swaps.

Very strong throw...a mixture of patchouli and dirt and...cumin! Never have I tried a blend with such a strong cumin note. Although cumin immediately makes me think of Tex-Mex, I am putting that association aside because there's something really likable about this scent. It's outdoorsy, makes me think about gardening or camping. Funny enough, it smells exactly the same on my husband as it does on me. We both like this dirty little monkey!

On me, this is more foody pumpkin than fresh pumpkin...buttery, cinnamony, sweet. The beeswax is only slightly noticeable since my skin amps pumpkin. I was hoping for that scent of freshly-cut-into pumpkin rind. This is more like a pumpkin pie-scented candle. I think it will be a lovely room scent, but probably not something I'd wear.

Pumpkin, with honey and maple syrup and a light dusting of cinnamon. It's not a boozy scent on me at all. More like pumpkin cookies. Actually, this is random, but do you know Quaker Oh's cereal? It kind of smells like a pumpkinny version of that. Like pumpkin + honey + cereal grains. A super-sweet, foody scent that I wear frequently because I love it, I keep going back for more.

I'm not familiar with this story, but I wanted this scent for its notes. There's a gentle rose, and the lab's gorgeous plum note (like Bordello, but softer here), and then some other florals (not sure what jonquil smells like but I guess this is it). I don't notice any incense. A beautiful, feminine bouquet. It turns out, rose and plum are lovely together.

I'm always intrigued by the smoky, charred blends - Brimstone, Agnes Nutter, Bonfire Night - but they're always too much for me. I think I can pull off Rumpelstilzchen, though. I love the way this scent wafts up to my nose and smells slightly different with every inhalation. Sometimes I get all firewood and ash, sometimes it's smoky patchouli, sometimes more of a chai scent from the cardamom. The vetiver is only slightly noticeable, not overpowering as it tends to be on me. So I'm quite pleased with this blend! Finally, a smoky scent for me.

The lab's "autumn leaves" note takes center stage here, with pine and sweet maple in supporting roles. I don't really get "cold, moist breezes." More like hanging out in the autumn woods on a chilly, yet sunny afternoon. There's a happiness to this blend. Fall in all its glory. Similar to Samhain or Falling Leaf Moon. Not super strong, but I like it a lot.

Hello, sage! How fresh and green you are against this dark, woodsy, mossy backdrop. Strong moss note...I would've guessed there's a drop of vetiver too, so dark and earthy is this scent. Is this the scent of Sherwood Forest? I'm not usually taken with mossy blends but I'm considering a bottle of this. Sage makes all the difference!

I've wanted to try Mabon for ages! Here goes. Freshly-pressed, sweet apple juice, blended with tart, dark berries. Reminds me of Punkie Night at this stage. In a few minutes, I notice the other notes lingering in the background. The myrrh, rosemary and sweetgrass aren't popping up, but the hops, herbs, and nuts lend a wild, natural vibe. It really does call to mind some sort of outdoor celebration of the autumn equinox. My only negative is that it's not very strong, perhaps due to the age of my decant, but I'd still purchase a bottle if I came across one.

When I first apply this, I get dry, powdery orris mixed with something unpleasant...like the sweaty tang my Boston Terrier gets when he's in need of a bath. (Sorry!) I guess it's the musk. I've enjoyed golden musk in other blends and I do appreciate how it can be animalistic, but it's not working with my skin chemistry in this case. After a few minutes, the sweatiness fades, and it's a nice warm, powdery, floral blend. The orris, amber, ambergris, and musk are all playing together nicely now. Unfortunately the scent has become very faint.

Spices galore. Opoponax, fiery clove, and black pepper. The opoponax, as it often does, smells a "Coca-Cola-esque" to me. The sweetness of tonka aids in that comparison. Old Demons is not nearly as sweet as my favorite clove blend, Pickled Imp, however. It's darker, a little more evil. The neroli is not showing up. Normally, anything citrus takes over completely on me, so that is a happy surprise. It leaves me free to enjoy this wonderful spice blend. Not a super-strong scent, more like an old spice box where the spices have lost some of their potency.

Whoa baby, this scent is strong! Ripe banana and rum, just a touch of sweet coconut, and tart grenadine (like pomegranates). The ultimate tropical perfume. I would love to taste the drink that inspired this! I don't see myself needing a whole bottle but I'd wear it on hot summer days.

There's a sweet, clean aquatic note, but also, there's salty water that seems sour, somehow. I can't do aquatics, definitely can't do sour aquatic.

Heavy childhood nostalgia here, since I grew up in an area where maple trees were everywhere. I love the lab's "autumn leaves" note, but this isn't that. It's more like green maple leaves warmed by summer sun. The clove isn't showing up for me. Just pure leaves!

On first application, it reminds me a lot of Black Forest, one of my all-time top five BPAL's. A deep, dark forest (only fir in this case, compared to pine in Black Forest) with warm, animal (sweaty!) musk. Then the sharpness of the fir needles fades out and Indian resins and spices appear. I don't notice the myrrh but the sweet benzoin is particularly strong. A lovely dark, mysterious scent that's right up my alley and my husband loves it as well.

How I love a good oak scent! And the moss is clearly present as well, that same dank forest moss note as Nocnitsa. The gentle brown musk of woodland creatures and the mildest red rose (sweet/soapy) mean that this blend is a good deal sweeter and not as dark as the Twisted Oak Tree, another oaken favorite of mine.