waxing moon

This haunting, exotic scent is named in honor of the shapeshifting demons from Hindu mythology. Sandalwood with rose and patchouli. A very soft and understated scent, it smells like tiny pink tea roses, the kind that you have to stop, bend all the way to the flower, and bury your face in the bloom to catch the sweet scent. After a few hours of wear, the sandalwood note becomes more apparent, but very, very gently.

A profound, complex scent that encapsulates the joy one finds in another's pain. Ylang ylang, clove, Indonesian red patchouli, and dark myrrh. Starts out on my skin with the intensely floral biting sweetness of ylang tempered by the spicy clove and maybe just a breath of resinous myrrh. As the day wore on, it began to smell exactly like Bain de Soleil Orange Gelee, which was cool because it reminded me of the excitement of getting to go to the pool as a small child plus the impatience as my mother rubbed me all over with sunscreen before I was allowed to jump in. Altogether, an understated and almost tropical scent, I think that I will enjoy wearing it most in the summertime.

I didn't like the other BPAL rose scents I have tried all that much. Rakshasa was too timid, Black Rose too sweet . . . Harlot is none of those things and absolutely fantastic. My mom used to buy a rose scented incense from a head shop near to where she went to college and this scent is EXACTLY the same. It's even better when it gets on a sweater or scarf and sits for a couple of days. It's red, red roses with spiciness built in and just gets better as you wear it! I love how elegant and sexy yet free-spirited I feel while I have it on.

Though I am now a "recovering Catholic", this scent brings back all kinds of churchy memories, both good and bad. First on, it's a almost sharp cedarwood, evocative of my first Communion dress, which had been worn by many women in my family and was kept folded in a cedar chest when not being worn. After a few minutes, rosewood blooms on my wrist, and I am back at Christmas and Easter masses (which are all about the "smells and bells"). It's smokey, resinous, and dry. Halfway through the day, a slightly sweet balsam scent lingers, just like the chrism used to anoint the heads of newly Baptised babies and Confirmants. I am truly impressed by Cathedral, I think it's my new favorite fragrance.

In the bottle, I can really smell the sandalwood and musk, but in a few minutes after application, the carnation really blossoms. This scent is so nice, warm, and woodsy. Carnation smells just great on me (love LUSH Potion!) and this scent takes it's clove-like sweetness to the next level! I think that I will use this perfume for my comfort scent when I am put in a stressful situation, since one sniff relaxes me all over.

Name: Mary URL: none for now Photo: Don't have any recent ones on the comp just now Sin of choice: Gluttony or Wrath Virtue you embody: Generosity, Honesty (Though being honest seems to be a sin in it's own right!) Astrological Info: Virgo sun, Cancer moon, Tarus ascendant How you found out about BPAL: Lush UK forum Any comments you'd like to add about the Lab or life in general: I love the fact that the scents from BPAL embody the "darker" side of life . . . so many people seem not to acknowledge it's existence, let alone celebrate it!

While oatmeal and honey is one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast, I can't say that I got off on wearing the scent of it all that much. It is a very light scent and dries down to a whisper of honey mixed with the vines that grow on old stone buildings.

I've worn this scent a few times now, and my opinion of it seems to change each time. The first wearing was while I was baking a white cake for work (Cherry Jello cake for Valentine's day party! Yum yum. ) and I was struck by how much the Snake Oil smelled like white cake when it is just about done baking, but still a little runny in the middle. I am not one for really food-y scents, so I thought that this wasn't for me. Since then, I have worn it to work and bowling, as well. At work, it seemed to be more amber-y, more spicy. It didn't begin to smell like cake until well after noon, which was fine with me, since by then the smell had lightened considerably. In the bowling alley, Snake Oil became really spicy, hardly vanilla at all. It's truly a changeable perfume, one that works with not only your chemistry at different times of the month, but your surroundings, too!

This scent is very cinnamon and amber. I almost felt like I was wearing Atomic Fireballs when I first put it on! During the drydown I could still smell the sweet amber and possibly a bit of sandalwood when I raised my wrist to my face but every now and then, as I turned my head, I caught a whiff of patchouli. This scent had wonderful staying power, it clung to my skin until I washed it off over 24 hours later.

Such a refined perfume! First on, it smells of lemon-y rose, but then the jasmine develops as the lemon dries, and I am reminded of the ubiqutious clouds of Joy by Jean Patou that seem to envelop the "grande dames" wearing fur coats as they window shop down Michigan Avenue (in Chicago). Instead of the animalic sour undertones of that fragrance (touted as the most expensive in the world when first introduced) Namaste is oh, SO much better because of the round woody base lent by sandalwood and patchouli. This is a perfume for rich fabrics and heels, dining at a restaurant you can't afford, and eating dark chocolate.