dreamingjune

An architectural doppelganger reflecting a ruined soul: dilapidated planks of mahogany and cypress wood perched feebly on a grim foundation of long-dead leaves, black musk, patchouli, galbanum, tobacco absolute, fragonia, and oakmoss. This is such a hard one to pin down. In bottle: Like a bottle of wine where all of the wine evaporated and then someone used it for cigarette and incense ash? Wet: I like this. There is something bright and almost floral along with a sweet wood and subtle smokeyness. Dry: Very well blended. The black musk is there keeping things dark and powdery, but in a good way. There are definitely sweet woods and smoke. I am picking up on some floral, but it reminds me more of something like champaca. The Decrepit House is not a floral blend necessarily, however there is definitely something feminine about this. Overall: It looses some of the initial brightness but remains a unique, sweet wood and incense blend. I would put this in the family of scents like Dancing Koi and Al Azif, only more feminine.

In bottle: Woods/pine with vanilla and rose. Very strong. Wet: Like a pine forest and the smell of sex! The vanilla in here is very strong, yet quite perfect. I am also smelling the same sort of strong green balsam sweetness here that I get from U Mutter Museum. The rose is in the background adding to the sexy quality of this. Dry: Mmm, as if someone mixed U Mutter Museum with Dancing Koi and Red Rose, only better. If you are afraid of rose do not be afraid of this blend. The rose is very well blended in here and just keeps things feminine and not too heavy on the "wild woods". The honey is adding sweetness and sex appeal here without doing the dirty honey thing it likes to do on me. There is something very wet and syrupy about the vanilla in this blend, yet somehow it doesn't get too sweet. Overall: Sleeping Nymphs and Satyrs has some serious throw and lasting power. It is also an extremely sexy blend. Like a wild, forest equivalent of Snake Oil, that is also highly feminine. For me this blend is evocative of sex in the woods on a sunny spring day .

In the bottle: Slightly clovey sweet resins with champaca goodness? Wet: Extremely well blended. Not a very dark or heavy scent with some subtle sweetness. The balsam, benzoin, and wood act as a background to the green cumin. At first I thought I was smelling clove and then realized it was the green cumin. This gives it an unusual herbal sort of spice quality. The obsidian musk is subtle and gives the sexy powdery feel of the black musk the lab uses. Dry: Soft, powdery resins with the cumin still giving a touch of spice. I don't get a ton of balsam but it is definitely there making this slightly sweet and understated version of sexy. Cat Allingham is reminding me of the scent of shea butter somehow. Overall: Not a very "stand out among the crowd" sort of scent, but definitely a good one. This is the sort of blend that would be fabulous worn all over in a moisturizer since it is subtle enough to not interfere with another blend. Also, it blends beautifully with the natural nutty sweet scent of shea butter.

In bottle: Slightly sweetened sandalwood or cedar type note. Not really jumping out at me and it took a few days until I wanted to actually apply it. Wet: More sweet woods, slightly incensey but not very dark in tone. Definitely not the usual overpowering leather note, but maybe something in the background that makes this feel dusty or antique. The musk note in this is light and reminds me of something like Hunter Moon 07. Dry: Oooh, the woods are becoming more sweet and oddly fresh. I think the champaca is to thank for the clean yet awesome incense nature to this. I still don't get much in the way of leather, and not really any clove. Dancing Koi is amazingly well blended. Sexy too, in a very dignified kind of way. Overall: I am in love. It is in the family of scents like Magus or Cathedral, only mixed with some of the qualities of Hunter Moon 07 or Coyote. This stands out as being very unique and very wearable. I could see it being quite unisex too. My favorite of all of the Lupers so far.

In bottle: All kinds of cherry/almond with maybe some of the brightness of mandarin? Wet: Almonds!! Sexy, warm, creamy almonds. The spicy vanilla of Snake Oil is there in the background but I don't get the in your face red musk of straight Snake Oil. Dry: The almonds fade off a bit but still compliment the vanilla beautifully. I never really get much mandarin on the skin, which I am certainly not complaining about. I think the myrrh just softens things nicely and makes this even more wearable. Overall: I have been searching for the perfect sexy almond blend and this may be it. I wish the almond was a bit stronger but overall this is an amazingly sexy blend. It manages to be sexy, slightly resinous, and sweet while not being overpowering.

In the bottle: This reminds me an awful lot of Centzon Totochtin with the cocoa and wine notes. I used to love that scent but just can't handle the wine anymore. Wet: Ooh, this is almost like a lighter version of Boomslang with a strawberry wine note! I always want to like berry notes yet rarely do. Somehow I am really loving this. Dry: Pretty much the same. This is way lighter than I expected, and there is a fresh berry note still present at the forefront. Not too much musk, but just enough to keep the berry/wine note from going crazy. I don't really get much in the way of sandalwood and patchouli, though those notes are favorites of mine and rarely jump out to my nose. Overall: Definitely not what I am usually into but I am quite in love with this. It is sweet and fruity yet grounded with a touch of musk, cocoa, and maybe a faint hint of woods.

In the vial: sharp, reminds me a bit of a feminine version of Dracul. I think I am picking up on the orange blossom and black pepper. I would guess the vanilla infused amber and leather are giving this a dirty sweet quality too. Really struggling to get the nerve up to put this on my skin. Wet: Hairspray. Dirty, perfumey, sharp hairspray. Dry: Yup, more hairspray. No thanks. Overall: I had such high hopes that I almost bought a bottle unsniffed. So glad that I did not as my skin hates this.

I was certain that I would love this one, and I do. In the bottle it is almost exactly like The Hag. I tried them side by side and they are pretty much identical until maybe 15 minutes of wear. Where The Hag stays bright rummy vetiver, Wrestlers mellows into a pleasant balsam sweetness which is way lighter. The vetiver in this fades off rather quickly and there is very little musk or rum after dry down. Overall: Very pleasant light balsam goodness. Try this if you wanted to love The Hag but was not able to handle the vetiver. To me this is a very wearable unisex blend for anyone who wants a bit of sweetness with their balsam and light wood notes.

In bottle: Creamy ginger with a touch of something fresh. Wet: Like a clean version of Gingerbread Poppet without the bread. I still get the fresh almost herbal note and I believe it is the combo of honey and clove on my skin. I usually amp clove but I am getting absolutely none of that. Dry: The honey in this is ruining it for me I am fairly certain. There is something very off and sour about this. Still no clove, just icky, sick-smelling honey with a touch of ginger to make the situation worse. Overall: Pass. No real depth here and my skin chemistry is making a mess of things.

In the bottle: Light herbal notes with the sweetness and red musk of snake oil in the background. While wet: More snake oil with some sexy chocolate incense. Still something vaguely herbal or a bit of Nag Champa style floral hanging around. Dry: Like a perfect mixture of Snake Oil, Boomslang, and Panther Moon. This is a very, very good thing! Just enough musky spice along with chocolate/vanilla goodness. Then, the Nag Champa style incensey floral keeps this from getting too heavy or sweet. Overall: I can't stop sniffing my wrists. This is the perfect well rounded sexy blend. I could see this being very easy to wear too. 5 out of 5.

I was frimped a testable sniffie of this one and it has been quite the surprise. I generally am repulsed by most foodie scents both in bottle and on the skin. In the bottle: Why am I attracted to this? There is a definite buttercream quality, along with some subtle spice. Maybe a nutty praline quality too? Wet: A slightly less foody version of what I smelled in the bottle. There is some sort of wood or balsam emerging that is grounding this. It reminds me of what made me fall in love with Velvet-- maybe a sandalwood note? Dry: More of the wood note emerging, but this is by no means an earthy scent. There is still a buttercream or nutty quality but it is not terribly sweet on the skin. After about an hour: This reminds me of the drydown of Succor if it was mixed with a foody cookie sort of scent. Perhaps there is a balsam in here after all, as balsams almost always work on me. It is pleasantly like a nutty sugar cookie with just a bit of a comforting sweet wood or balsam. Definitely a soft foodie scent with not a ton of sillage. This is an unexpected winner for me. Arrg, now I have to find a bottle..

I ordered this mostly for the tobacco, and because I have always wanted a coffee scent to work. In the bottle: Perfumey floral with tart, stale hazelnut coffee. It really took a while for me to want to put this on. Wet: Why does this smell almost fruity to me? Maybe it is the scent of cardamom before it dries down. There is a weird perfumey bitterness too. Blech. After about 2 minutes the leather starts to pop out more and the perfumey floral/fruity ick is fading off. Luckily the tobacco starts coming forward and redeeming this a bit. Some clove is coming forward too. Dry: This is leathery tobacco with an odd background of slightly tart, nutty coffee. The spices are mostly clove and there seems to be some sort of light musk in here too. The Arabian Dance fades to a light smokey clove with the leather of Iago/The Black Rider and a bit of coffee. It is actually quite nice but I just don't know if I can handle this scent before it dries. This might be interesting after it ages a bit, though.

In the bottle: A green musk with fresh carnation and the green balsam of U Mutter Museum. Wet on skin: Hello carnation! Yet not in a bad way. There is a bit of musk, subtle wood, and the softest hint of bay and clove. Dry: This is really mostly carnation on me, but grounded by just a bit of musk and warm wood with a hint of fresh spice. It is not too powdery nor does it smell synthetic. I am used to amping the hell out of clove and it is not happening here. There is a subtle toasted quality along with a subtle vanilla/musk sweetness that is making this quite comforting. Like a baby raptor you want to cuddle with? The balsam presence is subtle but keeps all of the other notes in line for me. Overall: Amazingly well blended. Carnation on its own would be terrible on me, but this manages to bring out the carnation without going overboard. The background of toasty woods, sweet musk, and subtle spice is just perfect. Also, yay for balsam being in here. I could see this working on someone who can not usually do scents with heavy spice or woods. It does not have a ton of throw or lasting power but that almost makes it more comforting. 5 out of 5.

At first sniff from the bottle I knew this one would be way different than other bpals I have tried. The balsam is lightly present, but the cardamom really pops out along with a fresh wood note. On the skin: The cardamom is a definite top note, without being too overpowering. This cardamom really smells like an essential oil rather than a perfume oil. There is a light sweetness and subtle unique spice, with a wonderful balsam background that is starting to bloom. Drydown: The cardamom fades and the single most amazing balsam blend I have ever smelled comes to the forefront. I recently fell in love with the copaiba balsam and peru balsam essence oils from dshperfumes.com. That copaiba balsam smells like a green and sweet sandalwood, while the peru balsam reminds me of a sweet yet earthy benzoin or amber. Together they make one of my favorite scents ever. Bezoar smells exactly like these two blended together. I am feeling rather lucky to have found Bezoar before I ordered the others from dsh. I have tried as many balsam bpals as I could get my hands on, and this one stands out in a serious way. This is also completely different from U Mutter Museum, as far as other balsam blends go. An hour later: This one lasts too! It does not fade in any weird way or turn powdery or soapy. It is just pure awesome balsamy goodness. It is like the sweetest wood with the lightest resin. Not your typical bpal resin, more like smelling fresh resins or gums used for incense. Absolutely amazing. A definite 5 out of 5.

I have to start out by saying what a winner this one is. I was absolutely terrified of the rum since I amp sweetness like it is my job. Luckily the rum is part of what makes this one so noteworthy. Wet: It is all about rum coupled with just the right amount of fresh spice, musky powdery goodness, and earthy smoke. The rum never gets too sweet or foody, yet it does make you want to sniff your wrist repeatedly. Drydown: After the rum calms down a bit this starts reminding me of why I love Black Temple Burlesque Troupe. The black musk gives a powdery sweet sexy element, while the galangal and bay give just the right amount of freshness. I was afraid that the bay would go too herbal or soapy but there is none of that. Also, where is the black currant? I was almost as afraid of the black currant as I was the rum, yet I don't detect any. Perhaps this is what is keeping The Hag a bit fresher than expected. After about 30 min: The vetiver is starting to show itself just a bit to keep it from going too powdery. I honestly think that someone who has mild issues with vetiver could probably handle it. It is very subtle and more noticeable in the bottle than on the skin. Though, it should be noted that I am a ridiculous vetiver freak and typically slather the stuff. I still can not quite pick out the black currant but I am glad it is in here. Overall this is a very unique blend that has a brightness that I usually don't get with Bpal unless there is some terrible soapyness happening. I have a ton of black musk blends with various earthy notes, but The Hag really stands out among them. I seriously can not stop sniffing my wrists.

My first impression is that Ivanushka is very much like The Raven minus the strong violet note. For me this is a very very good thing. I know I am supposed to be smelling musk and leaves, however this comes off like a comforting resinous floral. The floral that I am picking up on is more subtle like iris. I also swear I smell orris in there somewhere. Beneath it all is a subtle soft wood and an extremely subdued and comforting musk. Generally I am used to stronger musk notes like red or black, though. On me it stays pretty much the same from application to drydown. After about 20 minutes a sandalwood note much like the one in Velvet starts peeking out a bit. Overall this is not much of a morpher, nor does it get too powdery. I also don't get the pickle note that others have mentioned. The only thing I could see doing that would be the subtle sandalwood. Overall this one is a winner. If The Raven was too floral for you, or if Coyote was too masculine I would definitely recommend Ivanushka. Especially if you want a cuddly cold weather scent.

Peru balsam, Mysore sandalwood, bodark bark, tupelo gum, black pepper, tobacco absolute, and white honey. The Wrestler is such a weird one. I really should love it with all of the notes listed, except for the white honey. This one is almost like someone took No. 93 Engine (one of my top ten) and mixed it with Dr. Pepper. It is almost fruity sweet on me until the dry down. After that more of the smoke, wood, and especially balsam come out while remaining sweet. It has decent staying power, without being too strong. Luckily the sandalwood starts showing itself more the longer it is on, much in the same way it shows up in Velvet. There is even something in the drydown of this that reminds me of Succor, another very unique blend. They both have some sort of wearable dirty martini quality that I can't quite explain. Overall this blend is super unique and a good one to try if you love Balsam. I can really imagine it being pretty amazing on someone who does not amp the sweetness as much as myself. I think it is a keeper, but one I will probably only wear when I am in a very particular mood.

In the bottle as well as before dry down this one is way more spicy than I was anticipating. Some bpal spice and cinnamon tend to end up like sweet potpourri on me, but this one is different. It smells more like cassia and clove essential oils than anything else. Like wearing a clove cigarette, but in a really wonderful way. I keep on looking for the tobacco note that I love in scents like BTBT and it is there, though hanging faintly in the background. Sometime after drydown my skin chemistry amps up whatever sweetness it can find in this and it becomes an awesomely smokey vanilla that is not too sweet or powdery. Almost like the sweetness of balsams or benzoin, with less of a green or wood note. This one is quite a winner.

For me this is the perfect blend of the powdery smokeyness of Black Musk and Myrrh, with just enough green wood notes, incense and fresh spice. In the bottle: much lighter with powder as well as fresh wood notes. On the skin: It is not overly masculine or pungent in any way, just smooth and darkly feminine. With the olive leaf, spikenard, and white ginger I was worried about soapiness but nothing of the sort comes out here. I know my chemistry does interesting things with heavier notes so this might be totally different for someone else. Decent throw and length of wear too. So grateful I was able to hunt a bottle down.

Gleaming black musk, mandrake, labdanum, black ginger, benzoin, champaca, ambergris accord, myrrh, and star anise. So kicking myself for not getting a bottle of this.. The first thing that stands out is the dark powder note of the Black Musk. This helps carry the spice, incense, and floral notes and keeps them from being too light. There is something about this one that reminds me of a less chocolate, more incense version of BTBT. Long story short: this is the closest BPAL has ever come to a Nag Champa type perfume in my opinion. This has pretty decent throw without being overpowering, and manages to stay pretty true to the Nag Champa aroma for a few hours. One of my favorites at the moment.

In the bottle I smell the subtle sweetness of the beeswax, the almost evergreen note of frankincense, and the herbal richness of the balsam. On the skin this is absolutely amazing. For me it has the perfect fresh herbal top notes (not even remotely soapy) that I don't get in a lot of bpals. Then there is the perfect balance of yummy balsams and not too sweet beeswax that I love about Luperci as well. No 93 Engine is nothing like Luperci, though. Then there is something wonderfully peppery about this. It's like a soft beeswaxed white pepper. It is not too strong to the nose but gives this scent the perfect unique quality. I don't get any of the metallic notes that other people are getting, but my skin chemistry turns everything sweeter. Overall this is one of my top 5 bpals. If you love beeswax, balsam, or frankincense, this is a must try.

In the bottle: Holy cinnamon, Batman!! This just about knocks you over with spicyness. I better not read about people baking cookies with this one. Obviously the cinnamon is the main note I smell, but I also notice the pepper, ginger and maybe a faint hint of clove. There is also a light vanilla-like sweetness in there. Wearing: Yup, I smell like someone threw a spiced chai at me. Eventually this becomes a bit less pungently cinnamon and spicy. There is a really faint powdery musk note that is begining to stand out more. The light sweetness is still there too. This scent could be really good if it had a stronger base note to anchor it down, but I just feel like it falls flat by being super pungent spice next to such a light powdery sweet scent. It's almost as if there is some light floral in here making it slightly soapy/perfumey. Not for me at all.

In the bottle: Pure bliss. It's a perfectly fresh floral, kind of like an orange blossom of sorts. This is by no means a typical bpal floral though. There is just the hint of something hay-like and maybe a touch of incense to really make this interesting. Wearing: More bliss. The kind of scent I really just want to bathe in. The hay-like note comes to the forefront and stays there for about 10-15 minutes. After that it remains an amazing unique and refreshing floral with hints of incense. I know it's been said before, but this reminds me of the scent "Angel" (I can't remember who makes it) but better, minus the synthetics. To sum it up, I'm a die hard incensey, dirty, smokey, gritty kind of scent girl, but this was amazing enough that it's the only 10 ml I own. I'm literally salivating just thinking about it.

In the bottle: A dry, almost roasted cocoa note really stands out more than anything. This isn't sweet by any stretch of the imagination. Just a hint of incense and wine in the background. Wearing: Very much like in the bottle only the wine pops out more and adds some sweetness. The chocolate smells a bit tart now too. After about 5-10 min the chocolate and the wine fade away and this scent becomes less tart and sweet, and more smoky. The incense really takes over and is coupled with a scent that is perhaps "redolent with sacrificial blood". With the tiniest bit of cocoa and wine left over this becomes a truly unique and wonderful incensy blend.

This is like Snake Oil, only better. In the bottle: Not nearly as sweet and strong vanilla as snake oil. It's definitely both of those things but much more incensy and spicy. Kind of spicy in the way Morocco is without being too strong. Wearing: Very similar to how it is in the bottle but the scent blooms quite a bit. It's stronger and a bit sweeter, with a little bit of the musky "skin scent" going on. This is very sexy, and one of the few vanilla blends I like. The vanilla is so well blended with the spice and soft incense that it takes on a whole new quality. This is how I wished Snake Oil would be.