Aldercy

Gothic Horror is definitely a "blueblood" perfume, like the genre it represents. It belongs on a stark, hollow-eyed beauty in a Romanian castle, for sure. lol. Is the Byzantine incense responsible for the dominant rose note, I wonder? I irresponsibly failed to look it up before ordering this bottle, but I'm guessing rose is a traditional part of it. So, yes, a stealth rose, this one. But tempered with undulating, resinous undertones, a speck of light spice and some kind of tinny metal. This is not as heavy or as warm as I expected, but it's hardly anemic either and does have a distinct antiqued feel to it. There's a dusty, crinkly texture about it... like the black husk of a wad of burned paper which will disintegrate at the first touch (let me be clear, it doesn't smell like burnt paper, it just has that sort of ashy delicacy to it). The scent is deathly still, breathless. A little funereal. Though not the resin-fest I had hoped for, this is very well-executed. BPAL has taught me not to fear rose as much as I once did, because the Lab does it well and I've found it actually works okay on my skin. But it's still not my aesthetic ideal. I'm going to hang on to this for awhile and see how it pans out. It may very well grow on me.

Indeed, Crimson Christmas could work out to be pure, hot gore, depending on your skin chemistry. The reviews are kind of all over the place-- some with a lot of emphasis on the blood, some on smoke, some (seemingly impossibly) on bathroom cleaner. Personally, I sensed a lot of real blood coming from that one, but there was also some smoke, vetiver, and fruit for me. Still, something to look into!

I really need to learn that cedar is a bad idea in any and all circumstances. The only time it's ever appeared in an oil and not ruined my day was in Lilith and the Jarocho. But do I get it yet? Apparently not. No, I go around convincing myself that "this is white cedar-- so it's probably like totally different." And then it's not. So, as you can probably tell, King Lear is beating me over the head with a plank of cedar. Really hard. Not bad for an old man. Okay, I admit there's some fuzzy, witchy sage in there, too. Nice-- in fact, I think I need to explore blue sage more. But no bay leaves, which is the note I was really yearning for. Alas.

Beer, herbs, fatty butter and chocolate. Gluttony is just too heavy, syrupy and stale for me. I'm not tempted by this sin at all!

But... but... I HATE rose! This can't be happening to me! Damn your eyes, BPAL!* White Rose is WONDERFUL. It's angelfood cake topped by airy whipped cream, enjoyed with a warm Dorian-like tea... dewy, soft rose petals scattered throughout. It's not powdery or sugary or seriously floral, just incredibly rich and layered. This is what seraphim and demi-gods smell like. *faints into the arms of White Rose* *Not really.

Candied Dorian with jasmine and margaritas! It's sweet and salty at the same time, innocent and sultry. It's a citrus floral with hints of warmth from what I'm guessing is the Snake Oil, the vanilla, and the tea note in Dorian-- none of those are actually apparent on the surface, they just seem to anchor the blend. For example, Green Phoenix smelled like margarita to me, but it was too flighty, too thin, while this is great. It's very... colorful. Lilith and the Jarocho is isolated, coastal Mexico. A specific afternoon there, last December, actually. When I was wearing Peitho (which is all jasmine on me), drinking a really salty margarita, and beach combing. Wow.

Definitely very flowing and Asian in its mood. I feel transported. This was medicinal (yes, like cough drops! I thought I was going crazy until I saw someone else say that too) for a bit, but on the skin there's a nice buttery nuttiness coming to light-- which is good because the walnut was the main component I was excited for in Wood Phoenix. A nice outdoorsy, spiced walnut with currents of musk running through it. The Chinese musk is strange, dusky and cooling. This oil seems good for fall or spring, to me-- it's very temperate. I'm really pleased with this. I only wish it were a bit stronger.

Cold, cold winter wine. It doesn't smell like alcohol; it's a thin, graceful, berry wine. Spiked with a touch of mulling spices and a certain woodiness? Brittle, gnarly woods. Slush and snow, definitely, but no glaring ozone. Sweet earth and Concord grapes... A very dim, whispering sort of scent. Very beautiful and subtle. Totally genderless, but striking. I wish I had a bottle... Especially since The Shivering Boy doesn't hang on long. Two hours tops, this one.

I responded to that over in the Entertainment HBP thread, and from the list of your bottles, I think Milk Moon 07 and Pumpkin I 08 sound the most Hufflepuffish. In general, I feel Hufflepuff scents would be earthy (possibly including literal "dirt" notes if you like them), humble, warm, perhaps a little foody. Something with gingerbread or molasses maybe. You don't happen to have any Gunpowder, do you?

Seriously, no jasmine for me? Ave Maria is definitely rosewood and red sandalwood, lots of both. Not bad, but I don't think I care that much for the supporting notes. It has a very soft, cloudy feel to it somehow. It's dreamy and unfocused. Maybe that's the orris, because I get the same pillowy, misty, drugged feeling from this that I get from Cancer 07. The lily is a little funky. Wearable, but not really not me.

Okay, after much consideration, it's down to either The Shivering Boy or Ichabod Crane for seeing the film tonight. Other serious considerations were Fearful Pleasure, The Apothecary, Dragon's Heart, and Boomslang, but I decided I should pick something that we've decided on here as Snape-centric. It is Half-Blood Prince, after all. I think I'm going with The Shivering Boy. ... unless I change my mind. Hand of Glory sounds like a good choice, Revinn! Unfortunately, I don't have it myself. I think beeswax is a great wizardy note, too (hence Ichabod Crane). And The Lady on the Grey sounds wonderful for Luna. I could spend some time on a list of Luna-esque scents, but the movie's, um... tonight, so I don't think it would be much help at this point!

Mead and spiky carnation! Those are the top notes for me so far. I'm excited about the grainy, antiqued honey smell of the mead, and I'm definitely going to have to try to find this in more blends. Litha '06 also somehow manages to be "green" and warm at the same time, something I've never encountered. It's very outdoorsy with the oak and what I'm guessing is the ivy, but there are curls of floral smoke and glowing resin floating around. There's also this funny touch of what seems like carrot. This one strikes me as really medieval. It's rich, but rough around the edges. Lovely and feminine, but there's a little barbarism in the background. Overall, I feel rather like I'm sitting in a crumbling, walled garden (a practical garden with vegetables, herbs, and strong trees) in the dry, late summer, a few strands of scent coming from the nearby castle kitchen. And the mead hall is in full blown party mode. I was feeling guilty and negligent for not ordering Litha '09 when I had the chance, but (though I still want to try it) I'm feeling better about it now. I'm not sure it could be much better than this earlier version.

That's the only Mrs. Norris suggestion I've seen. I think it's really good, but it would be nice if we could figure out a GC suggestion. Mrs. Norris is hard-- the cat scents people have suggested for Crookshanks, for example, just don't seem to suit her. As for Beth taking inspiration from HP... I think I remember seeing something somewhere (could have been on the forums, but BPAL has accounts on MySpace and LJ and blahblahblah, and I could have read a link leading off in god knows what direction) that made me go "Oh, sounds like Beth reads Harry Potter!" I mean, I wouldn't guess she explicitly draws ideas from it, but some books do have the ability to touch you with their sense of aesthetics whether you mean for them to or not. I know I find myself working on a drawing or something and later realizing, "Wait, this looks kinda like it could be from [insert book/film here]." As for finding connections between BPAL scents and Harry Potter, I figure we're just seeing what we want to see. There's a lot of words and ingredients that crop up that could be from the Potterverse, but that's just because Rowling took a lot from traditional mythology, something Beth also happens to draw on.

Great, now I'm stressing about this. Not only do I have to choose a good wizarding scent, it ought to suit HBP in particular... I feel like the Mirror of Erised would have amber and slush in it. I'm not sure why. P.S. The Sorcerer's Stone is on television right now and though I didn't mean to start watching it, apparently I am. And thinking about all the scentscapes of the Harry Potter world while I'm at it....

Firstly, let me say that the wonderful forumite who frimped me this sniffie tells me that this particular oil is aged about 3 years. I don't know how much difference there is between Mature Dorian and Young Dorian, but he smells good. As in my eyes are rolling back in my head good. This is a heavenly tea scent. Very different from my other favorite tea blend, The Apothecary, but possibly better. It's kind of a thin, golden brown tea-- not strong or dark. It's sweet, and might even have a drop of bashful lemon or grapefruit (it's a really subtle citrus note that reminds me of Cheshire Cat, but it never fully comes out to play, just kind of flits in and out around the edges). The vanilla and musks are not very thick on me, but they serve to warm up the scent. Also, my cat's name is Dorian (trust me, he looks like one), so I guess I had to try this one sooner or later. So. Yeah. A delectable sugared weak tea with a lot going on in the background. Warmly aristocratic and an overall great oil.

At first, Coyote is a suede version of Hay Moon. Velvety with a touch of incense, but way too dry and perfumey. In the first five minutes, I prepared myself to throw this one in the swap drawer. But this blend morphs into something totally different on me. It's wild. This musk has a beautiful coppery, animal feel to it and is even slightly floral-- in a prickly wildflowers way. It's peppery and sunny and touched with something like sweetgrass. The texture and background of this scent is full of dust and twigs and paper notes. I think this would be amazing on a man, but I don't feel odd wearing it at all. It's not masculine in a cologne, aftershave, or Axe way. It's just a universally pleasant, down-to-earth scent. It's a shame this doesn't seem to have worked out for more people!

Completely aquatic on me. I could not resist the promise of gold in The Festival of Anuket, praying for a really neat metallic but fine with the possibility of amber... unfortunately, I sense neither. There's really nothing to complain about with this one. It's perfectly fine, but just too bland on my skin. It's a chilling cologne with a tiny hint of fruit. I just can't find much to say about it. It reminds me almost precisely of Bath and Body Works' Sea Island Cotton.

Oh lord. I had no idea what to think of The Maltese Cross for awhile there. I love the blood orange; it was the note I was most excited about, and it's definitely there. In the first minute or so, this scent is really rich and almost creamy with resins and dark citrus. Strong, subdued, androgynous, but really nice. But there's also a side of this scent that smells like diaper. "Diaper?" you say? No, not poo. Just... diaper. Kind of like a nursery. I have no idea how this is happening-- or maybe my nose is on upside down. Maybe the lilac is doing it. Turning really cologney and floral now... noooo... Aw. Fail. I did not expect that.

In the beginning, The Owens' Tomb is very herbal, with the only specific note I recognize being dandelion. I adore the dandelion, and the overall feel is something like a duller, less sweet version of The Host of the Air. It's a very natural, low-key scent. On the drydown, however, this becomes a little cologney and also has an unusual "citronella candle" vibe going on, especially if I slather. I'm not sure if this will necessarily stick around or not. I wore this to my uncle's funeral this week. I don't have any Ars Moriendi oils at all, so I thought this was the next best thing.

Good choice. Especially the wet leather. I always picture Greyback wet for some reason-- all matted and drippy. Is that weird? I'm always tempted to suggest Fenris Wolf for Fenrir Greyback because, well, that's the mythology Fenrir's name comes from! But it's actually not a very good scent description of him and it's understandable that most people assign it to Lupin. Aw, that sucks, Ahania. I don't see any obvious common note between all the Snapey scents people have suggested... but there's a lot of vetiver, leather, tea, and wood notes... Hmm.... YES. Oh thank you. I was distressed that I couldn't come up with anything for poor Mrs. Norris. I just kept thinking "dust" for some reason, which was not helpful. That's a truly clever suggestion.

That sounds nice indeed... even if I'm not a fan of muguet... Is it a LE? I'm afraid it is an LE (last Halloween). I feared the muguet myself, but Ichabod Crane is wooonderful, and likely my favorite scent of all time. Not for everyone, but I adore it. And it's a good alternative take on Snape. Slightly warmer and more academic. SPEAKING OF WHICH: Has anyone else noticed that Severin is being discontinued as of right, um... now? If that was the top of your Snape scent list, you'd better try ordering today. I think they're just clearing out what bottles they happen to have left and then it's gone.

I completely agree with Glasgow for Professor McGonagall, but here's some other thoughts. Italicizing the notes that I think particularly suit her: Arcana: frankincense, rosemary, lavender, neroli and verbena. Bewitched: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Arkham: maple, birch, dogwood, cypress, pine, bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax and pixie moss. The School-House: dandelion, white clover, balsam fir logs, and birchwood switches. Vinland: crisp northern wind blowing over loganberry, wild roses, prairie crocus, iris versicolor Linné, mountain avens, yellow birch bark, mayflower and maple leaf. Selkie: the chill waters of the Orkney coast, tea-leaved willow, honey-touched Grass-of-Parnassus, sea aster, and Scottish Primrose. In short, I feel like she would have a lot of woody notes-- she's very inflexible and strong... never fussy or gaudy. I also feel like rosemary and certain berry notes would work for her. For Hermione: The Little Sparrow: seeds, sedge, brown amber and sandalwood. Saint-Germain: gilded amber, lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses. Brisingamen: five ambers, soft myrtle, apple blossom and carnation. L'Ecole des Filles: orange blossom, ambergris, orris root, white rose, lemon balm, jonquil, carrot seed and benzoin. Defututa: olive blossom, honey, smoky vanilla, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood and champaca flower. Licwiglunga: hemp paper, frankincense, dried pomegranate juice, lavender, gum mastic, verbena, fennel, star anise and Dittany of Crete. Sagittarius 2007: sage, clove, dandelion, Balm of Gilead, fig and chamomile. Leo 2007: Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense and saffron. Harvest Moon 2005: gladiola, chrysanthemum, aster, dahlia, anemone, bergamot, marigold, sage, verbena, wine-soaked apples, plums, red pears, mulling spices, brown sugar, ivy, amaranth and lingum aloe. A wide variety. I wish I could find more stuff with parchment/paper notes, but most of the ones I find have other notes that are so not Hermione.... I don't know why, but I feel like lavender, carnation, brown sugar and cinnamon also seem to suit her. Couldn't come with anything for poor Mrs. Norris.

Best. Match. Ever. So, a few more associations: GIALLO Profoundly passionate and singularly sinister: opoponax, black plum, night-blooming jasmine, benzoin, red musk, violet leaf, orange blossom, mimosa, mandarin, smoky vanilla, tobacco, patchouli, and black amber. Okay, it isn't imp-able, but this is exactly the sort of perfume that I imagine Bellatrix wearing: a dark, smoky, passionate, beautiful but sinister floral. MARQUISE de MERTEUIL Stately, bold, aristocratic and cruel. Opulent galbanum and amber, glistening peach, and a bouquet of French florals, with a merciless undertone of jonquil and heartless vetiver. Narcissa Malfoy's perfume? It's the right combination of pretty, posh, haughty and cold. VEIL A quiet scent, soft, calm and enigmatic. A perfume of mystery, of whispers, and of secrets behind secrets. White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang. The Veil in the Department of Mysteries? SZEPASSZONY The Fair Lady, Winter Witch, White Maiden of the Storm. Szepasszony is a Hungarian demoness that appears as a stunningly beautiful woman with long, silver-white hair and a blinding white dress. [sNIP] A chilly, tempestuous whirlwind of clear, airy notes, slashing rain, and a thin undercurrent of white flowers. Maybe this is a stretch, but this sounds like a Veela scent to me. FAIZA, THE BLACK MAMBA A sensual blend of twisting, exotic, serpentine oils: black amber, caraway, oakmoss, green sandalwood, bergamot, jasmine sambac, gardenia, orange pulp, vanilla, blackberry, black musk, white honey, ti leaf, and ginger. Also not imp-able, but this has to be the right blend to represent Nagini, don't you think? TIGER LILY A feisty bouquet of golden, warm, gently honeyed lilies Lily Evans! And I'm really, really surprised that nobody's recommended Tweedledee and Tweedledum for Fred and George yet. Yeah, besides the appropriate scent notes, I couldn't help but feel like a Richard III surliness kinda suited Snape. You are dead on with Szepasszony, Faiza and Tiger Lily. And I can't believe none of us have thought of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Tweedledee is one of my favorite scents! What is wrong with me? For the Veil in the Department of Mysteries, I had also been thinking about Spirits of the Dead (yeah, I know I keep bringing up long gone blends; I'm sorry). "A shuddering white scent, of ghostly breath and stony silence: dry tea leaf, linden blossom, papyrus, orris and wood." However, I think your suggestion of Veil sounds a little more, mm... positive? Yes, the Veil kills, but it never seemed to me like it was meant as an awful way to go. The way Luna talked about it, it was a sad thing, but not bad or evil. Azkatraz! Cool! I love this thread too. This is just turning into one big old lovefest.

My Potterverse characterizations have been warped by many years of reading fanfiction, so they may be more based on fanon than canon. I'm not sure I know the difference at this point. Lucius would definitely wear Dorian, and Draco with his white blond hair and cold gray eyes smells like Ice Prince. And the Draco in my head loves a hot bath, so that works out well. I have never come up with a good scent for Harry. Possibly Bonfire Night because I imagine adult Harry would be a beer drinker, and we know he likes treacle. And traveling by floo might leave you a little smoke scented. Those are good suggestions. I think it's possible for multiple, widely varied scents to suit one character. Thinking of Lucius as the evil jackass Harry sees produces one scent impression, thinking of him as a government official produces another, thinking of him sitting quietly over a flawless dinner at Malfoy Manor produces another.... Dorian makes me think more of that last domestic version (and perhaps a younger version of him as well). It definitely strikes me as the kind of cologne Lucius would choose for himself. And I know exactly what you mean about the skewing effect of fanfiction. I keep chanting "what would CANON Snape smell like? CANON Snape..." because, let's face it, we are never told in the books that Snape is a leather-draped sex god (said interpretations are not usually to my taste, but it's impossible not to be familiar with them if you read fanfic at all). I still think he warrants some leather, but whatever. Many of the haunted house series blends could be great. Surely The Lurid Library, as has been said. And The Chilling Cellar ("wine just turning to vinegar, crumbling mortar, red clay, and the coppery tang of old blood") definitely makes me think of the basementy kitchen in Grimmauld Place (before Molly Weasley got to it). And The Forbidding Foyer ("Thick shadows hang heavy across fungus-smeared, dilapidated wainscoting, cobwebs hang like fine lace across sagging mouldings, rats scuttle past gaping doorways. The faint scent of brimstone, ghostly breath laced with cognac, neglected mahogany panels, and rot") has me thinking "when is Mrs. Black's* portrait going to pop out and start screaming?" lol. *the drooling Mrs. Black, not the undoubtedly delightful Mrs. Black posting here in this thread.

Pssst. Hey guys. Aberforth Dumbledore = Nonae Caprotina.