Indigo78

When I first got Iron Phoenix (circa… more than a decade ago?😯) something in the blend was salad-y. Basil? It was a fleeting, unexpected top note, and the only thing close to sweetness that I remember from this blend. I don’t smell *any* salad now, probably because the component has faded with age. The remaining notes have become a chorus of smoky resin, all present but none dominating. It’s richer and denser than I remember, with the same great throw and wearlength. This Phoenix is fr immortal and I’m glad to have it. Incidentally pairs like a dream with SO💕

At first this is very green on me. About five minutes after applying the frankincense comes out, and there’s a sweetness. Something about this reminds me of the way Hanerot Halalu behaves on my skin. I love it.

Stunning. It’s not easy to describe in notes, so I’ll talk about what it evokes. I smell hand-woven fabric that’s been impeccably cared for. If kind, wise ghost whispers had a scent, this is how they would smell. It’s unforgettable. There’s in my collection quite like it, and I’ll enjoy every precious drop.

Not sure how I haven’t reviewed this yet, since I’ve gone through at least 3 bottles between my home and work space. The scent is very round and full to me with a gorgeous depth from the spices. It smells like anticipation; like a place where anything can happen. I love it past forever♥️

Found an untested decant and I’m not sure of the year. Based on how long I’ve had it, I’ll guess 2014. 🤔 I didn’t read the description and couldn’t get a read on any of the notes at first, but I could have sworn peach was somehow involved. (I wore a peach scent this morning so my brain wanted to read it as that.) Peach turned out to be fig, which became more recognizable once the cedar dialed it down after 10ish minutes. The sage is soft and binds this together well. Medium throw. I’ll be using this up.

Clean linen, expensive candy floss, and diamonds. Something about this reminds me of the discontinued Black Opal, but I don’t have anything quite like this in my collection. It’s gorgeous.

I did not sniff the imp when I cracked it open, since doing that tends to mess with my scent impressions after applying. Straight into the skin it's an uber-clean "YAHSO I SMELL GOOD" . Maybe half the imp was a bit much. It reminds me of Dirty in this stage. Dirty, but with much more to say. After fifteen minutes it's perfect. The whole vibe of this is cold to me, but not in a calm way. It's noisy. Underneath the initial brightness there's a melancholy note that I can't place. Something reminds me of Sage, but I'm not sure if that's in there. This is one of the only aquatics I've found that I really enjoy. It's also much less literal than many aquatics I've tried. Rather than screaming Green-Blue Fresh-a-Roo, this one uses other notes to get the point across. Beautifully done. ❤️

If you missed out on the French Tobacco SN, and you amp-adore it as I do, then this may be a bottle to track down. I have had it for a year or so, lab fresh. It was initially a little sharp, but the notes have coalesced into something magical. It is unquestionably dark, but it has this embracing pipe-y sweetness. Completely unique. In 7 years of BPAL lovedom, I have not experienced anything quite like it.👏💞

Sensual brown musk, rich amber, English rose, oak bark, and moss. Very rosy on my skin, with a really wet quality to it that's more than plant stemminess. More like earth. Mossy, and not sweet at all. It reads as very "adult" on me, super serious and almost astringent until mid-drydown when the rose and earth subside and the musk peeks through.

Not sure how I managed to not review this in the years that I've had the bottle, but here it is. Wet on the skin this actually reminded me of TKO, or even a lighter, airier version of Queen. As soon as the lavender settles, though, it becomes its own huffable animal. Every note in the list is seamlessly present, and the end result is a clean that's nearly edible. Pure, unadulterated, squeaky clean nom. If they ever came out with gourmand laundry soap, I'd want it to smell just like this. Massively, inexplicably addictive. Like that new baby smell.

Oh my stars. Beth's gone and bottled the richest, sweetest parlor room cigar on earth. It's glossy, smooth, complex and gorgeous. The sweet/dry balance makes it wild and refined all at once. I agree that this is a *perfect* layering note, but it's complex enough to wear beautifully on its own. Just, thud. So very glad I didnt pass this up unsniffed, and I'm seeing a backup bottle or 10 in my future. ^edited cuz "unsnoffed" ≠ "unsnoffed".

This is spicy on my skin when wet, but thankfully not in a red-hots candy way. The rich, golden amber is warmed by the cinnamon bark and cumin. The myrrh, cedar and frankincense rise and fall back as it dries, and the mandarin and osmanthus are subtle but very present, and they don't seem to fade as time passes. I haven't had success with other saffron blends, but I don't really detect it in this one. The throw is very good, which I love, and the scent doesn't seem to morph much after the wet stage-- at least on my skin. To me, Pallas Athene says "I'm sexy, but pretty much out of your league." And for better or worse, that's exactly what you want to communicate sometimes. It smells completely different from anything else that I've tried, and I'm very glad to have a bit in my stash.

The Womb, Shabbathai, the Uppermost Feminine in the Godhead, Supernal Mother, Divine Sorrow, Supernal Shekhinah, and the source of the 50 Gates of Understanding. Myrrh, along with something that reminds me of sweet pine (yum) and maybe jasmine. I like this scent. It's right on the cusp of darkness, sort of a starlit scent, and I find it just cozy enough for the fall. It isn't something I wear very often without intent, but I'm glad to have it in my collection for those times when Binah's fierce, sometimes frightening influence calls.

The final burst of the soul’s light and joy before passing into the depths of the earth, and into the cords of Sheol; Sheol, who is never satisfied, and who makes wide her soul to all. Vibrant gladiola, graceful stargazer lily, triumphant iris and bright heliotrope flare, and is finally made somber by heavy copal, a drop of labdanum, and tonka. I've been meaning to review this one since I received an imp about two years ago. I'm not certain which note caught my attention, but I bottle-listed Sheol the second I smelled it. I didn't realize this was such a floral blend until I read the note list just now. Copal is the star of the show on my skin, and I catch whiffs of smoky labdanum and tonka, but the florals really do seem to be absent for me-- at least in the typical "I SMELL LIKE FLOWERS" way. That's a good thing. I'd describe this as a cozy, slightly vanillic and dusty incense. Like an affectionate death hug? I'm struggling, here. All I can say is that, even if you're not a fan of florals, Sheol is a must try. It's a one of a kind member of the catalog, for sure... Glad I have a bottle, since it seems to be getting richer and more beautiful with age.

Um, this is incredible. I want to smell it all the time. It starts off very sweet and mellows into a rich, smoky, tobacco-y scent that is both relaxing and almost erotic... Naughty, sexy, delicious stuff, here. I used to have a bottle of Red Lantern a couple of years ago that I don't remember being nearly as enamored with, but I wish I still had it so that I could make a comparison. What's interesting is that I don't normally care for caramel *anything*. The note has that "bad taste/smell stuck in the throat & won't go away" olfactory effect on me. But somehow , this is tempered perfectly by the spices, incense, coconut, etc. I really wish I could articulate just how luxurious this... Backup-worthy for sure if you can track it down.