viciousviolet

Much like so many other BPAL scents, this one has to be experienced. There is no way to describe it other than this is a black rose. Slightly spicy, slightly musky, this is a sinister rose. This is not a rose you give a loved one, it is a rose sent to your nemesis, or strewn on a casket at a funeral. The amber and musk is so subtle its almost imperceptible, but it gives the rose a husky darkness that I have never experienced before in a rose scent. It is altogether lovely and unique.

Black Lotus is lovely. It has that same sense of “darkened tone” that Black Rose has. Normally I find lotus scents to be a little heavy and thick, similar to the cloyingness of jasmine, but the other notes cancel out any stickiness. It is a dusty, soft scent, again so true to its description. The amber and myrrh give it depth and warmth, and the sandalwood thins it out perfectly. To me it is incense in Set’s temple mixed with the scent of lotus blooms drifting down the Nile.

For the life of me, I cannot figure this one out. The only note I pick up individually is almond, though that is not the dominant scent. It is truly a very narcissism-inspiring perfume. It is very warm, deep and sensual, and whenever I wear it I feel lush and sexual. Like I am the living embodiment of luxury. It's a wonderful self-esteem booster somehow, and is delightful as a room scent and a perfume.

Try Old London. It's a dusky, dry tea rose. Very soft, feminine, and classical without being old-lady-ish.

To me, this is a softer version of my beloved Haunted with a clear floral note added. I enjoy incense scents, and found the lilac in Bruja to be very clarifying and softening. Though I did not love it wet, straight out of the bottle, the drydown is sexy, smooth, and makes me feel deep and exotic. Gypsy-like. I think the lilac is what would put one in mind of the little old lady scent. My gramma used lilac scented talc.

Perfectly beautiful. The water ivy adds a slight green note, and the combination of florals is simply lovely.

Golden light! But not a halo at all, more like warm summer sunlight. I never imagined that patchouli could be so round and robust. A scent to wear when you’re barefoot in a field, recalling memories of happiness in your youth.

Snake Oil is the single best perfume I have ever worn, and is solely responsible for converting me from the mass-produced, sterile world of Chanel scents to the wonderful, whimsical world of Black Phoenix perfume oils. It is a warm, spicy, sexy scent, without being too overpowerful or too overbearing. The vanilla adds a sweet, luxuriant sexuality, and carries the Indonesian spices perfectly. This is the perfect seduction scent. It is almost universally attractive, and I can honestly say that I have never gotten so many compliments as I have since I started wearing it. This from both genders! It inspires an almost odd reaction from so many people. I’ve been sniffed and complimented getting into taxicabs, as I walk through the grocers, by my child’s pediatrician. A colleague actually stopped me during a meeting to compliment my perfume. Bicycle couriers have pulled over by me on the road to ask me what I’m wearing, for heaven’s sake! All in a very positive manner! Though I love many of Black Phoenix’s scents, Snake Oil is my single favorite, and no matter which scents I may experiment with, Snake Oil feels like my personal signature scent, and I will always come back to it.

It is the scent of a gorgeous golden sunset, when the sun finally dips completely behind the mountains, on a beautiful summer night. The honeysuckle and jasmine remind me of my own childhood garden, and the lavender cools the perfume just enough to add a surreal, otherworldly quality to the scent.

Someone else said it on the Lush forums... this really is the scent of blackberry sage tea! Truly lovely. I imagine a wise crone scented like this from crushing herbs in her mortar and pestle, or perhaps this is the scent of a witches brew cooling in her cauldron.

Normally I don't go for foody scents. I received BPAL's Vice as a gift, and though I enjoy the scent, it's more of a comforting room fragrance to me than something I'd wear as a perfume. Velvet changed my mind. There's just enough chocolate to make this scent sensual and inviting, tempered by the perfect amount of sophisticated sandalwood. Not at all sticky, which is how I feel about most foody blends, and delightful both on the first whiff and on the drydown. I'd never guessed that the scent of cocoa could be so sexual, or could make me feel so sexy when I wear it!

Wicked, sexy, and deviant. Those are the best words to describe Loviatar. It is a scent reminiscent of thigh-high leather boots, whips, and hot wax. There is nothing coy or coquettish about this scent, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. The notes are amber, musk, and myrrh, which on their own seem as though they would make a deep, warm, sensual perfume. Loviatar, however, is punctuated by the distinct devilish scent of leather. It truly should be the choice blend of dominatrixes worldwide! I bloody love this blend, and I love the way it makes me feel.

It is a deep herbal floral, but not at all soft or weak. It's hard to describe, but I can truly see how these flowers and herbs are sacred to a Goddess of War, despite how gentle they seem on their own. The scent is wild and very Celtic, and does remind me of my own homeland so strongly and of the history we have. The combination is empowering, strong and very "womanly". I feel like I'm making this sound like a harsh scent. It isn't. It's just very bold and brash and "no-b*llsh*t". It's the type of perfume I'd wear to a board meeting when I need to go balls out.

A fresh, clean herbal perfume. The scent is almost perfect, pure green tea with a very slight touch of lemon. Although I love this as a perfume, I love it even more in my bath and in a burner in my home. To me it is the scent of purity and inspires calm and serenity in me and my household.

I first have to compliment the loveliness of the bottle. It is beautifully simple: no logo, no words, just a tiny print of the card from the Rider Waite deck. I have several of the tarot blends, and will not stop til I have a full deck! The scent is very difficult to describe and is as complex as the card itself. A hint of the warmth of coconut, an aquatic tanginess, perhaps ambergris. It’s so light though and oddly subtle. It doesn’t have the overpowering, sickening smell of the kind of cocounut you’d find in something like a tanning lotion. There’s another scent that reminds me of frankincense but I’m positive it isn’t. It’s like violin bow resin. This really is a beautiful, light, otherworldly scent. I feel I just can’t find the words to do it justice. It is the scent of the color soft white. Not a blinding white, but a gentle, ethereal glow. A nimbus. Wearing this perfume makes me feel like I, myself, am glowing softly.

BPAL is perfectly genius at capturing specific literary or mythological tones, and as a case in point, Anne Bonny is the perfect wicked woman pirate scent! Somehow this dry, incencey, woody scent really captures the feel of seafaring devilment without having a drop of "aquatic" notes. It is a very sophisticated blend, good for both day and evening use. For a warmer scent, layering it with BPAL Single Note Myrrh or Old Athens cannot be beat.

I have recently found an affection for vetiver and it was thanks to this scent. In the bottle I found it to be a little too harsh, perhaps from the patchouli. But on my skin it dried to a dark, sexy, mysterious scent. Layered with BPAL Black Rose, this scent goes from good to exquisite.

The scent of polished pews in a gorgeous old church, with wafting remains of long-gone incense in the background. This is one of my favorite blends for my home, though I rarely wear it as a perfume. On my body, the frankincense is too dry and thin a scent.

Unbelivably vibrant, lush and sensual. Vermillion brocade and burgundy crushed velvet made into a perfume. The scent wafting off of the skin of one of DaVinci's models. Deep and bold enough to be womanly, but with notes bright enough to keep it lively and exciting. This is one of my favorite perfumes by far!

I'm a big fan of both amber and musk, so it's little surprise that I adore Carnivale. I was surprised to find how very interesting and complimentary the deep berry notes are. It was a bright, juicy scent on my skin at first, and the drydown faded the brightness a little, to a velvety amber with a hint of sweetness. This may overtake Haunted as my favorite amber blend!

Someday I hope to visit New Orleans, and I imagine that the city would smell like this in parts, and like Voodoo in others. It is a very heady and bold, and as the description says, it really is like hothouse flowers. Slightly spicy, thick with huge blooms. Gorgeous and sensual, like a 19th century Creole courtesan!

One of my favorite earthy deep scents. I cannot pinpoint the notes, but it seems to me to be the scent of sweet brown earth, a touch of pine and juniper, and the faintest hint of rose. It is a lovely dark perfume, and works well on both me and my husband.

This Christmas I bought sample vials of Namaste for all the people in my weekly yoga class. When you find something you love, you just have to share! This is such a wonderful blend for meditation and relaxation, yet it is neither bland nor dull as that may imply. I love the scent of sandalwood, and this is a wonderful sandalwood blend, with a little bit of exotic spice and a hint of Indian floral. The scent of an Eastern temple, perhaps, or the scent of incense settling on the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk.

I love this scent for my home in the winter months, but it was not flattering with my body chemistry. Its green notes clashed with me, though I did enjoy its almost cranberry-like scent. Should work beautifully with the right person, just not on me! As a room blend, it is festive and very appropriate Yuletide blend. It has none of the synthetic tackiness that most holiday scents bear and smells perfectly, wonderfully natural.

Zombi has to be experienced to be believed. If anyone here likes truly earthy scents, this is lighter than Thanatopsis and is identical to freshly turned earth and crumbling dry roses. It’s like nothing I have ever smelled before in a perfume.