olympia301

At first I smelled an evergreen scent sort of like cypress or yew. Then it morphs into a real basic aromatherapy type of medicine blend. There isn't anything sweet about this one, it's all business. Real astringent and earthy, it's one of the performance art types of scent that the lab does well. I feel pretty anxious when I put this one on. Who knows, maybe the lab managed to bottle fear. Great for Halloween or if you are out to intimidate someone who's bigger than you are.

Very pretty floral, it is indeed what you would want to wear if you are singing in the church choir. Heavenly flowers which are very soft, one of Beth's legendary white flower blends. This one is nummy if you are the White Flower loving person. There is an undertone of myrrh and I smell a green grassy note, too.

Pineapple at first, with a shot of almond and coconut. There is a perfumy background all the while that the blend is wet. On drydown the perfumy background comes forward and the pineapple recedes just a bit. No more almond and the coconut comes forward. There may be some ginger in the drydown, as a matter of fact I am quite sure there is. It is a nice summery scent, sort of a fruit bowl sprinkled with ginger and I think that's most attractive. (Previously reviewed by joseybird.) ADDED Feb. 17: I got to smell this one today and I must say it is more buttery/vanilla like than most of the Chaos Theories I have smelled. This starts out as a very sophisticated vanilla, not a cotton candy type but a clover and butter and vanilla and sweetgrass type of opening, this combined with the acacia* which I smell in every Chaos Theory and is the one element which provides the harmony to hold this many different scents together. At the moment, I would be willing to say that CCCXLVII is my favorite Chaos Theory of all. It is charming and takes full advantage of everything that acacia has to offer. It cools down to a level where you can smell it well (though it is not a broadcasting scent, it is personal and does stay close to your skin at all times). It is lovely and I am glad I snagged an imp of it, even if it was way late after the Chaos Theory fever had worn off. Real good. *I am making a wild guess that acacia was the note that ran through Chaos Theory. I could be wrong as hell, but I will be you a peanut that I am right here.

One of the prettiest most winsome scents I have smelled from BPAL. I have gotten an empty imp from Joseybird, and a supernaturally generous several drops from the Divine ChupaChup. Vanilla from the gods combined with white musk in its most attractive form. Lucious, simple and beautiful. So, we should all be indebted to ChupaChup for giving us the recipe for recreating Antique Lace: Madini's Vanille + BPAL's Dirty I have to say, that gets to the "dead ringer" category. ETA: I am so very grateful that Antique Lace is back. I hope it stays back forever. This is a real miracle for me and a lot of others. I am one happy BPALer.

This is the only green tea scent I have been able to wear, hallelujah! You can actually smell the green tea through the berries and it adds a very attractive lilt to the blend. It is really beautiful, too. Berries which are sweet and not too serious, that black musk has it all under control, yes this is a fine scent indeed. I am definitely keeping my imp of it. Would I get a bottle? Well, this one has some similarity to Florence because of the berries. I think I have to say that Florence is my pick of the two, but this one is awfully good, and if you like it sweeter than iris root, try Bewitched, it's really really good. *The icon is a plastic doll dressed up like a witch on a broom. There is no "deep meaning" to it, it's just a plastic doll.

Very pretty narcissus scent in this, and Languor bears your keeping your nose away from the source, too. Let there be a good deal of air between your nose and Languor because it is very much better when it can dissipate around you, that's what brings out its beauty. Perfumy, in an incensey way, a little bit earthy, and quite heavy, I can see that when you think of this one, it would make you lazy.This one is not entirely to my taste, but I can see why some folks would love it a lot.

A very sweet perfumy scent, would be right at home on the perfume counter at your favorite store. It's crisp but sweet, not too heavy, and very pretty indeed. This one is exceptionally well blended, it is very difficult to pick out individual notes here. I can see why people have been describing it as "crisp" and "full of berries", but it's not astringent nor does it smell of rasberries. This is a good perfume for days outdoors and for meeting friends, it manages to be perky and relaxing at the same time.

This one is not me at all. Very heavy, rich with patchuli and grapes, very earthy and in the dirt. I can see how the earth loving people out there go bananas for Urd, unfortunately I am not one of them. It is indeed well crafted, and someone said it does smell like their favorite occult bookshop, and so it does...and I mean that as a great compliment. It is comforting and a little naughty at the same time. I salute the use of grapes in the blend, that was gutsy and unusual. Maybe you are a person who has the exact opposite of my tastes, if you are then grab Urd, you will be glad you did. I will be putting it out there to be snatched up by you.

I liked this one a lot, and I will admit that I am a sucker for the Lab's treatment of apricots and peachy scents. It reminds me of Fae or Aglaea, especially Aglaea because it does have a sort of herby part in the background. Sad to say that I like Aglaea better, and ditto for Fae (whick is much sweeter). I think if I had smelled Katharina first, I might not be feeling this way but, alas, I do. So, it's off to the swaps to see if Katharina can find a newbie who really really loves her. Shouldn't be too hard, she is actually a real doll underneath it all.

Something like an amped up Silk Road to me, this one contains resinous strands, almost like orange peel, like citron (very dry citron). It kind of reminds me of the smell of fruitcake and turpentine. This is the very essence of the furious goddess of retribution, whom you do not wish to get on her bad side. Not very pleasant to my nose, but a great interpretation of the concept. I think this should be popular among prosecuting attorneys.

I do detect the apples that everyone else is talking about, but my overriding experience is mustiness. I think that has everything to do with the way my chemistry plays with black amber. Unfortunate for me, fortunate for someone whom I swapped with. It would be highly sophisticated on someone whose skin liked black amber, and I could appreciate the "silk" smell in it if that were the case in my experience. Wish I could appreciate it, sad I can't.

Very much like Snake Oil right out of the bottle. Then the roses come in and jump around until they are mostly overwhelmed by red musk in this blend giving it a dusty smell (like the background in Miskatonic U). Actually, it is very pleasant overall, and if red musk is your thing then this is a great blend for your purposes. It does last forever, and has elements of the rosiness of 2 5 & 7. This blend really pointed out what red musk smells like, and that did me a great service.

A wonderful antidote to an all-nighter oozing with drunken, addled perversion and debauchery. A fresh, crisp white linen scent: perfectly clean, perfectly breezy. Byrdie said it best, reminds me of the smell of shampoo. It's much nicer than Estee Lauder's Linen scent, it's a bit unique, too. I detect white musk here but it is tempered with a flowery smell and it strikes a "just right" note of summer cooling, of rationality. I would say, plot it in your overnight bag when you motor off to The Hamptons, don't forget it on your next sojourn to Monte Carlo, and dab yourself before your next important meeting with The Boss. By itself, it's not to my taste. Remember, taste is all-subjective. However, it is dynamite with the Vanille that Chupa mentioned and gives me a ring for Antique Lace, too. Thank you, Chupa. I can truely say that I can see how some people would flip over this one, though. Even though I am not going to be buying a bottle soon, I will be sure to have an imp on hand for a variety of reasons.

Eucalyptus out of the bottle, or a pine like smell. Very masculine and sagittarian. But strange things happens when it starts to dry. They mint/pine smell disappears and out comes a charming cinnamon scent that lingers. This one totally changes its personality after drying. I swear that in the end I can't smell any hint of the piney sort of scent it started out with as almost a single note. Like most of the sagittarians I know, hard to pin down and eternally changing.

I get pineapple straight out of the imp. While it is still wet, the goddess...I think she plays tricks on you. The pineapple fades and is replaced by roses, the kind you find in 2 5 & 7, meaty full bloom roses with what smells like lemongrass in the background adding an earthy grounding quality to the blend. I really think this is a pleasing one but give it space, not the sort to put your nose right up against. If you allow some atmosphere to mix with you and Kurukulla, your wildest expectations can be fulfilled here. Really beautiful.

Really is spring flowers in rain sort of a scent, it captures the essence of that kind of moment as well as aspects of the smell of it. Parts of it reminded me vividly of Machu Picchu, but it is less forceful than the latter, less green stems and more feminine; though no one is going to call it "florally". This is a complex scent which has been carried off masterfully. Strong yet feminine, it would be a great scent for work. If the florals which are not really florals strike a note with you, you owe it to yourself to try Szepasszony. And while you are at it, try to learn to spell it, too. Go on, I dare you!

Very masculine. I would be loathe to wear this because of it...a woman just wouldn't. It is powerful, yes a true lavender fougere (fern) and quite Victorian; you can smell the lavender just fine and the ferny-ness of it all. I can also smell a menthol or volatile component here, too, but that may be lavender playing tricks on my nose. Villain is somewhat like a "store bought" scent and that isn't a criticism of it, I think it's great. It could be overpowering, so you might want to not put on a great deal at first. If used with a judicious hand, Villain could be your gateway to paradise, men.

One of the white flower blends Beth does so well. If you are a jasmine lover or you can't get enough flowers on Earth, you are a very lucky chick! This blend is exceptionally floral, wonderfully jasmine filled, tuberose shaking its curly head. I don't smell the lime, though. It is just a White Shoulders kind of a scent and I couldn't recommend it highly enough to those of you who are the white flower sorts. This is one of the first scents, judging from when the first reviewer published her piece. I think that more complexity has been injected into the florals as time has gone by, and that is a good thing. However, it's the simplicity of Muse which is its charm and its strength.

Very beautiful evergreen scent tempered with a little something a bit sweeter. It would make a very good sachet or in a tart in the wintertime. Somehow there seems to be a touch of lemony smell in here, but I think that is some chemistry with the evergreen/volatile combination.

It is pleasant, inoffensive, good for day wear, good for when you would not like to stand out in a crowd. Other than that I can't say much about it because it just doesn't seem to have much of a personality. It's well blended but nothing is standing out here.

Redolent with vetiver and sandalwood, Umbra is an earth lover's dream. It is dark as pitch and expresses the thought beautifully, the darkest part of the shadow of an eclipse. I don't think I could identify the black patchouli in it, but that might be what I am taking as sandalwood. I cannot detect the cinnamon in it, a feature of its "sister" Eclipse (which does not smell like this at all). It is very long lasting, and the drydown is exceptionally beautiful in a mournful sort of a way. If you like vetiver, you will love this one.

Very citrus-like, but I can't get fruity out of it as many others have. It's more of a thought of "citrus"-- sour, sectioned and thick skinned fruits. I think there is musk in the blend as the scent does have great staying power. I have to say this is what I hoped that Shanghai would do for me (but didn't), it's cool and refreshing as can be. Astringent in a small way so it's great for summer, and green. Very sophisticated, this one would be right at home on the Sak's Fifth Avenue counter, but it's not asphyxiatingly aggressive and uncouth as commercial scents of this type are, no tooth grittingly demanding uber musk in Machu Picchu. This one is a very highly recommended summer/hot weather intellectual scent. But it could be sexy, too. I think it would be dynamite layered with Regan.

A beautiful fragrance named after a dreadful woman (and dreadful president, might I add...never mind the spelling*). I was instantly smitten when I first put it on my skin. This was the Santo Domingo/Follow Me Boy/La Petite Mort scent I had dreamed of. No animal in here at all...none! I had found the Holy Grail. Flowers in the service of vanilla, nothing to interfere with my ickle twee dream. Mmmmm. I loved it. There is an odd pine/evergreen bark whiff ghosting when you apply your nose to it, but that serves to make Regan all the more entrancing. This one is spring and summer, in the exhale and in the inhale. It would blend perfectly with other things. It lasts very well. There should be lines around the block to get a bottle of Regan. The only danger to Regan is if it gets too sweet and turns "lilac perfume bristle-faced old aunt" on you. That would lead to the parting of the nose-hairs. But so far, Regan is settling into "I wov oo" on me and I love that. _______________________________________ *If you wish to take me to task after that statement, PM me. Let's keep politics personal, ok?

Pine and apples on a cold cold night in the dark. That is Skadi to me. It starts off as very PINE, I could not see anything else underneath it, something like opening the front door of a warm house on a cold night. It has to dry before the apples contribute their small chorus to the blend and the pine tones down to a nice recognizable stature. Then it is very nice indeed. I enjoy Skadi and think it's beautifully seasonal. I don't think I get as much of a charge out of it as many people do, but I salute it as a very fine variation on a difficult if not downright impossible theme (evergreens), and it admirably meets the challenge of not smelling like air freshener, Pine Sol, cheap candles, or any of that clap trap. It is refined and special.

She's a nice dame, this Sacred Whore, not a mean bone in her body. She's all gardenia and jasmine, not a bit of musk to make her stick around (though it is very long lasting and doesn't take much to show up), no introspective violet or neurotic other-world spices here. This is a comforting and almost predictable scent. I'm not knocking it, and I would indeed call it a BPAL classic, though not on the scale of Snake Oil. I do highly recommend it to those who want to whet their knowledge of BPAL and the scent philosophy and I imagine that there are some that think this is the ultimate in sexy fragrances and I can certainly see their point, it is tres lovey.