tinyvulture

I smell patchouli mixed with licorice, cinnamon, and something sweet and powdery (the labdanum?). Can’t smell the mandarin or sandalwood, and the cardamom is barely noticeable. It kind of reminds me of licorice flavored Necco wafers. Nice.

to me, this smells exactly like red velvet cake! no cheesecake, no graham cracker -- just rich red cake, heavy on the vanilla. yummy.

i smell juicy pear and soft, sweet amber, with a touch of hyssop. i don’t notice the sage and coriander at all. the sweetness is sort of like juicy fruit gum, as other reviews have noted. it's a pleasant scent, though, not cloying. feminine, slightly exotic, great for summertime.

A sinful, licentious scent: self-indulgent and luxurious. Mingled heady civet and red Egyptian musk, thickened with opium. i can tolerate and even enjoy civet in small doses – such as in Black Annis – but here it’s just way too much for me. the exotic opium in the background is nice, so i'm making a mental note to try more opium scents. but the civet is making me feel slightly ill, so i’ve got to swap this one.

at first it smells like grape juice (the mullein, i’m guessing) mixed with leather. as it dries, it morphs into a sweaty (is there civet in it?), heavy, musky, dirty scent that i really can’t wear. it’s too strong and animalistic and earthy for my taste.

at first this smells very strongly of pine and juniper, reminding me of my beloved Black Forest. as it dries, it morphs into a gentler version of Tombstone. the vanilla and cedar-ish rosewood blend beautifully with the soft, powdery amber. so basically, it's like a blend of two of my favorite scents! i love it and want a big bottle for my husband and i to share.

soft, dry rose with a touch of sweet, tart pomegranate. i think the juicy tartness of the fruit is a great contrast to the prim and proper rose note, and the result is quite seductive and sexy.

minty and musky! wow, the black musk really dominates in this scent. the fir gives it a foresty vibe, and there’s just a hint of spicy clove. i'm not picking up any citrus or cumin. it’s such a jumble of different smells, but i like it, especially on a boy.

lotus always smells like kool-aid on me. in this blend, the jasmine and amber are able to tame the lotus slightly, but it’s still pretty strong. i can’t pick up the citrus, which is surprising since citrus notes are usually also quite strong on my skin. final verdict: jasmine and fruity lotus are not a good combination for me.

the green, herbal sage is the strongest note. i was expecting a bold, fruity blackberry scent, but instead i smell tart, unripened berries, at least at first. as it dries, it gets sweeter but remains quite understated. a sweet, innocent foresty scent.

woodsy and sweet. there is bonfire smoke, juicy berries and some kind of herbs. the fir was hard to detect at first; i had to slather it on to really notice it. i’m glad i was able to try an imp of it but i’m not sure i would want a whole bottle because it’s a little too fruity for my taste. when i'm looking for a smoky blend, i prefer devil’s night.

i love the way BPAL does cocoa. it’s powdery and warm and rich and not too sweet. it is so perfect here in combination with the sandalwood and myrrh. the cocoa is dominant at first. the sandalwood provides a nice dry woodsy base. it smells like there’s a bit of cedar, too. reminds me of pencil shavings. over time, the cocoa fades and the sweet resiny scent of the myrrh takes over. flawless.

got this as a freebie from a swap. i normally avoid citrus scents because they are so overpowering on me. but, surprise surprise – i like this. it smells a lot like grapefruit. the black tea gives it a nice base, and cherry blossom is such a pretty, light floral. overall it’s very clean and sparkling and sweet. a happy, summertime scent.

darn it, i don’t smell any blackberries! normally i love the lab’s berry scents because they are so luscious and fruity, but this one’s not working for me. the heather smells clean and fresh, like walking through a field in springtime. and that’s it – after 20 minute still no berries

this smells like the popcorn you get at the movies. i thought it would be more of a true “butter” scent. but it really smells like coconut oil or whatever that fake, bright orange, butter-scented stuff is that they squirt onto your popcorn at the theater. it’s not a strong distinction, but it’s there, and i think it’s funny. this will be nice to mix with other scents to make them more buttery. yum.

this smells almost like pure amber. i love amber. it’s soft and powdery and sweet like vanilla. there’s just a touch of something else, like the smell of rocks or dirt, that contrasts with the gentle warmth of the amber. it’s not an extremely strong blend…i have to slather it on…but i don’t mind

at first it’s very clean-smelling, like a fresh green shampoo scent. as it dries, the bright, cheery peach comes out. the amber softens it so it’s not all in-your-face over-the-top fruity. pretty, reminds me of springtime.

what is going on with this imp!? it smells like mexican food! at first i thought my husband brought home leftovers and didn't bother to tell me. then i realized it was my wrist. i got the same effect when i applied it days later. i’m not kidding and i’ve never had such a weird reaction to a perfume. i’m assuming i just got an “off” sample. so…other than the mexican food, there’s fruit. i wouldn’t guess it was pomegranate or peach… it’s more of a general sweet fruity note. can’t smell the rose at all. there’s also something aquatic. but mostly, mexican food.

jasmine is one of those notes i used to hate, but it’s grown on me thanks to bpal. i absolutely love it here blended with the smoky black opium and sweet honeysuckle. i can not smell any earthy/dark vetiver here, so don’t be afraid of that! it is a strong scent, but a fresh, vibrant one. wow! incredible.

i’m not a huge fan of dragon’s blood, but it’s actually pretty understated in this scent. the cherry is what stands out. sweet and juicy black cherry. the clove adds a hint of spice and makes it more interesting and complex. however…one cherry scent will suffice for me, and i love the cherry/mahogany action in Red Queen. so this one’s off to swaps.

when i first apply this, it smells like a traditional men’s cologne. the bright juniper notes stand out and then the sweet myrrh and the patchouli come out as it dries. but the oakmoss doesn’t do it for me – it makes it a bit too “earthy” and subdues the patchouli. it seems to take away from the vibrancy of the other notes, which is disappointing.

this light floral scent immediately makes me think of springtime. it’s very fresh and green. a little bit aquatic and soapy. quite pretty, but i prefer autumn scents.

dragon’s blood isn’t my favorite, but i wanted to try this for the leather and smoke. unfortunately (for me) the sweet spicy dragon’s blood dominates. the leather doesn’t stand out very much and i don’t get any smokiness at all. instead, it’s kind of soapy. so it's off to swaps where my loss will be someone else’s gain.

i’ve never had chestnuts, but to me this smells like pancakes and maple syrup, with a juicy fresh pine scent underneath. mouth-watering and nostalgic of christmas mornings past. i’ll need to get a bottle before it’s too late.

i knew i would love this one. on my skin it smells just like O – like sex and baby powder and honey – but with the added bonus of sexy, jasmine-like ylang ylang. gorgeous.