Sistinas

a review of Ephermera Vial ~ Chamomile and autumn leaves seem to dominate this scent. Wet ~ I am picking up traces of violet and other florals begin to bloom on top of the chamomile Drying ~ Very floral, tea rose peaks out more and the violet and muguet are getting stonger too. Dry ~ It is all violet and muguet now, floral and sweet, but not overwhelming to me. This scent is extremely feminine and perfect for a spring fragrance. Fade ~ After about 40 mins it has faded away, but while it was on my skin, it was a very lovelly scent. Final thoughts ~ Ephermera is a wonderful scent added to the GC. I highly recommend giving this one a try, only if you like florals. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.

a review of Blood Amber Vial ~ In the vial, it smells of Dragon's Blood, mmmm. But there is an undertone of resin, ahh amber, two notes that are in my favorite top ten. Wet ~ on my wrist it is less dragon's blood and more resin, the amber smells so good. Drying ~ As it dries I get a small bit of a soap scent, but it is not overwhelming and the blend still smells fabulous. Dry ~ The amber is taking over the dragon's blood is fading. There is no longer any trace of soapiness to the scent either. The amber smells so good, especially with the dragon's blood in the background. Fade ~ Resins do well with my skin type and this scent is lasting pretty long and has not died down very much, got to love a scent that has staying power. Final thoughts ~ This scent smells so good, it lives up to it's name, warm amber with dragon's blood that makes a great daytime, feminine scent. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 5.

a review of The Black Tower A sepulchral, desolate scent. Long-dead soldiers, oath-bound; the perfume of their armor, the chill wind that surges through their tower, white bone and blackened steel: white sandalwood, ambergris, wet ozone, galbanum and leather with ebony, teak, burnt grasses, English ivy and a hint of red wine. Vial ~ At first sniff, I was OMGWTFBBQ!! Leather, wine, mosses and ivy, what a combination. I cannot wait to try this out on my skin. Wet ~ It is more mossy and ivy, no trace of the wine or leather, where did it go? Drying ~ I am still detecting just the moss and ivy, it comes across clean scent and every now and then when I sniff it, I think I might be picking up slight traces of the wine. Dry ~ Oh my, it has dried to this soft powdery wine scent,with moss and ivy still in the background. Fade ~ The Black tower dried and faded almost back to it's original scent only softer. It has faded into a truly beautiful scent that my skin has soaked up, so far lasting over an hour. Final thoughts ~ I am so happy that after drydown, the wine scent came back and the combination with the moss and ivy just adds to the wonderful scent. I cannot wait to get a bigger bottle of this to really slather it on. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.5

a review of #20 Love Oil Vial ~ The smell of almonds and herbs come to mind. It is pungent, but light at the same time. Wet ~ it is still herbal, the smell of almonds does not seem to stand out, in fact I am unable to detect it at all Drying ~ Green and herbal, still as pungent as it was in the vial Dry ~ The scent has become more floral, but there is still the hint of herbs to it. It is hard to pin down the scent,it is not really sweet, but then it is not entirely a greenish type scent either. Fade ~ 20 mins later it is still lasting. Final thoughts ~ I have a hard time pinning down my thoughts about the voodoo blends. Maybe because they are for more than just perfume. #20 Love Oil is a very nice blend, I might have to test it out. I will hold onto imp that I have. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 3.5

a review of Anathema Vial ~ Initially all I am picking up is the honeysuckle, light and floral. I cannot detect any trace of vetivert or the black opium. Wet ~ on my skin the vetivert is coming out a little bit. The scent is something more than just pure honeysuckle, I think I am picking up on the black opium also. So far I am truly impressed with this scent. Drying ~ It is light,clean and sweet. I don't find it cloying at all tho. I didn't find this as an in your face scent, but it is stronger than some of the lighter scents I have tried. Dry ~ The scent has stayed true to the drydown. This one is a winner. I think I will be needing a bigger bottle of this one. Fade ~ Anathema is hanging tough with my skin, not fading away quickly, and has a slight throw to it. Final thoughts ~ I really love this scent, it is not over the top and is very beautiful to smell. On a scale of 1 to 5,I would give this a 5.

a review of Les Fleurs du Mal Vial ~ the description says it all, roses,lilac and wisteria. Actually mostly what I am smelling is the rose and wisteria. Wet ~ the scent stays true to what it smelled like in the vial. Drying ~ the rose is taking over as it dries and the wisteria is settling down as the lilac picks up a bit. Dry ~ The wisteria has really faded and the rose and lilac really stand out together. It is a truly beautiful floral and for me not to overly sweet. Fade ~ It seems to have a quite a throw and does not fade away that quickly. Final thoughts ~ This scent is truly strong on me and seems to be lasting on my skin. The rose and the lilac make a truly beautiful combination together. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.5

a review of Empyreal Mist Vial ~ soft and sweet, not overwhelming at all. A very clean tea scent. Wet ~ still very light, but not as sweet, very soft almost undetectable on my skin. Drying ~ As it dries, a green scent comes out, taking over the delicate tea scent. Dry ~ Soft green scent, very close to undetectable, I have to find it on my skin, only because I know where I applied the fragrance. But I am also able to detect a very soft berry scent. Fade ~ It does not have much throw and it does not last too long on me, but then again, I didn't apply much on me. Maybe if I slathered it might last longer. Final thoughts ~ This scent is so soft, not sure if this one is for me, only because I would need to really slather this one on me. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would have to give this one a 3.

a review of Jabberwocky Vial ~ lots of pine and eucalyptus, perfect for clearing up your sinuses. Wet ~ The Eucalyptus is the strongest note, with the pine adding strength to it's scent Drying ~ The orange is starting to peak out, the scent is still strong, but maybe not quite the sinus clearer it was earlier. Dry ~ The orange is coming out stronger, now it is a blend of eucalyptus, orange and pine. The scent is quite interesting to say the least Fade ~ It lasted about a half hour on me, with faint traces of the orange. Final thoughts ~ I am on the fence about this scent. On the plus side, it is a unique scent, but on the down side, it does not last that long on me and I am not so sure if I want a scent that is so strong with eucalyptus. On a scale of 1 to 5, I am giving it a 3.

a review of Beatrice Vial ~ floral, with a touch smell of powder, yet it has a creaminess to it also. Wet ~ roses with spice. Mmmmm it smells so very nice. To me this is Pride and Maiden's lovechild. I don't find it either overly sweet or spicy, it is blended just right. Drying ~ the blend becomes stronger, but not overpowering. The spiciness tempers the sweetness of the roses. Dry ~ It is now this creamy light rose scent, I am always amazed at Beth's rose scents. I never thought I liked them, this is a beautiful and very feminine scent. Fade ~ An hour later it is still there, less rosey and the spiciness has come back. Final thoughts ~ This scent is truly beautiful. It touches the inner glamour gal inside of me. I want to go out, dressed up, wearing Beatrice On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give this a 5.

a review of Old Scratch Vial ~ genteel is one word for it. It is soft with lavender and I can detect a slight hint of amber, unfortunately I have no idea what tonka smells like. The patchouli is soft and not overpowering, in fact if I had not read the description I would not have guessed it was there. Wet ~ pretty close to what it smelled like in the vial. It is very softly sweet, this scent is a good one for both men and women alike. Drying ~ The lavendar keeps holding center stage of this scent, but the underlying tones are what really make it from being just another lavendar scent. It is soft, but so light that my skin eats up the scent immediately. Dry ~ Someone mentioned that it reminds them of what a lush store smells like. To me it has this light light smell (is this the tonka?) It almost reminds me of Prince BBS. This is a nice scent to wear on a light warm day. It might be more apropos for early summer or late summer. Fade ~ Two and a half hours later, the scent is still there on my wrist, a bit fainter almost like a lavender powder scent with tiny traces of what I think is the tonka. Very lovelly indeed. Final thoughts ~ This one is a big winner for me also. I would have to say it gets a 5, on a scale of 1 to 5.

a review of Al Shairan The enemy of God, also named Iblis, He Who Despaired of the Mercy of God. Al-Shairan is the leader of the Jinn, a tempter who whispers false suggestions to men enticing them into evil and perfidious acts, and is the sworn enemy of all of Adam’s children. His scent is fiery, bright and thick with sweet sinfulness: clove, peach and orange with cinnamon, patchouli and dark incense notes. Vial ~ mmm, cloves and cinnamon, I also get that head shop sense too. Fortunately for me, I love all these scents. It says in the description that there is peach and orange but so far I have not picked up on those notes. Wet ~ cinnamon, cloves and patchouli are what stick out the most upon application on my wrist.Definitely there are some other dark incense notes but on occaision I am able to pick up some citrus,which what must be the orange. Drying ~ This is dark and heady, but to me it is not over the top. I am falling in love with this scent, it is truly beautiful, if you are a fan of scents that fall into this category. Dry ~ I am really not picking up on the orange now. It has dried and mostly it is just dark with cinnamon, clove and patchouli. The clove does not stand out that much, but you can tell it is there. I bought this fragrance based on description alone and I am so glad, this is such a keeper. Fade ~ Half an hour later, it is still going strong, it has lighten up some but the scent is still there, warming and comforting to me. Final thoughts ~ This one is definitely a keeper and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes scents of this type. The cinnamon is the strongest component but it does not flare on my skin. The clove and the patchouli make great background scents that blend together with the cinnamon. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 5.

a review of Lightning Vial ~ in the vial it is oh so wet with the slightest touch of ozone and marine notes. Wet ~ it has not changed much from application to my wrists, it does indeed have this bit of salt in the air Drying ~ still loud with ozone, to me it smells so clean, I have read others compare it to a dryer sheet, but that is not what comes to mind for me Dry ~ This scent is so clean and fresh, hmmm, I think I missed out on what could possibly be a great summer scent Fade ~ I haven't had it on that long to really comment on how long it lasts, but as it is a light scent and generally those do not last that long on me. Only time will tell. Final thoughts ~ I would not recommend this scent to anyone who dislikes ozone scents. However if you do, I highly suggest this one, it is fabulous. Lightniing would be a great summer scent, hmmm, now all I need is some cold rain.

a review of Numb Vial ~ soft floral, from what I have read from other reviews it is violet. It is very soft and for me hard to detect, I find Numb to be very cool and chilling. Wet ~ it has not changed much, soft floral that invites ideas of wanting to take an ice cube and stroke it across my neck to help cool me down. NUmb is indeed the embodiment of its namesake. Drying ~ As it dries the floral is taking a bit more control and there is this tiny hint of citrus, but maybe is this my imagination Dry ~ Still hints of violet, but the chilling scent seems so perfect for the hot summer months. I cannot stop sniffing my wrists, I have a new appreciation for it. Bravo Beth. Fade ~ Okay this has been on my wrist for about 30 minutes and it is starting to fade away, I think this would be nice to splash on and think of some of the cool and numbing things I do to survive the heat. Final thoughts ~ On first sniff of Numb, I was rather underwhelmed and kind of meh about it. But now it is kind of grown on me.On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.

Vial ~ popcorn and butter, actually I am picking up butter but maybe not necessary the scent of popcorn, but an odd assortment of smells from a vendor at the carnival. Wet ~ pretty much the same as it in the vial. Drying ~ Okay not I can definietly say it is popcorn smothered in butter Dry ~ Now that it had completely dried on my skin, it is so more butter than anythinkg else. Fade ~ of course, this one stays strong, most scents I don't care for end up lasting long on me. Final thoughts ~ This one is just not for me. I recall Red Hot Mama really liking this one. If she wants it, it's hers. Most likely in a few days I will put it up for swaps. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 1.

a review of House of Mirrors Vial ~ spicy and citrusy Wet ~ wet on my wrists, it is not so cutting. I am not picking up either of the two components that I listed earlier. Drying ~ As it is drying, the citrus is coming out more and I think there might be some pepper (not sure). It sure is warming up on my wrist.I am beginning to have high hopes for this scent. Dry ~ It is spicy, I believe I can detect some musks along with the citrus. This is not what I expected at all, I wonder if there is some ginger in this also. Fade ~ the scent softens down,and I think I have found a new love. It smells so good and it fits into the scent category that I truly adore. Warmm, spicy and just enough lasting power so it does not die down too quick. Definitely need another bottle of this. Final thoughts ~ This is not what I had expected from this fragrace. I was thinking more along the lines of shattered. But this is a very warm scent that I also am able to find some comfort from. On scale of 1 to 5, I give this scent a 5..

a review of Snake Charmer Vial ~ sweet incense, vanilla, and just a bit of plum Wet ~ definitely picking up the musk and amber, I can see how many refer to this as Snake Oil lite. Drying ~ Still lots of musk and amber, the plum is starting to come out stronger and it compliments the other scents wonderfully. I am sure the coconut is there, but it is faint on me (thankfully). The vanilla is coming out more too, it is a sexy, intriguing scent. Dry ~ Now it is more fruity than anything, the amber and musk have taken second stage, but there is still traces of sweet vanilla and if I really look for it, the slightest trace of tobacco. Fade ~ It is fading more into the vanilla, I am sure the plum is there, but it is not as blatant as it was earlier. There is this golden honeyness scent to it also. Final thoughts ~ While the scent has beeen compared often to Snake oil and admittedly there are some smiliarities. But this one is unique in its addition fo plum and of course the drydown it totally different, more honeyish, than vanilla. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.

a review of Gypsy Queen Vial ~ sweet with the smell of florals and incense. Definitely picking out the bulgar rose the most. Wet ~ oddly enough on my wrist it smells a bit like tobacco leaf, sweet with the green smell of flowers yet to bloom. Drying ~ the rose is starting to fade, there is still this sweetness to it but it is in no way cloying at all. Dry ~ powerdry sweet incense. It is so apropos to the name of the scent. I feel as tho I am in the chamber of a fortune teller awaiting to be told my future. Fade ~ I have had this on my wrist now for over a half hour, still going strong, although it does not have alot of throw. Final thoughts ~ I love this one, even it is sweet. One thing I have learned from trying different bpal scents that I am not confined to liking one family of scents. I would have never have thought that a floral could be comforting, but this one comes across as one. But on the same token it is very sexy also.On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.5

a review of Geek Vial ~ Upon first initial sniff, I thought it was rather metallic smelling, wondering if maybe my bottle had been mixed up. But now after trying it again, I am getting cinnamon and patchouli. Wet ~ Mmm, cinnamon, patchouli, cedar and pine. So far not picking up the leather, but I am sure that will come out. If the scent were to remain as it is right now, I would be in heaven. Drying ~ Now I am geting more cedar and pine, with the cinnamon in the background. Dry ~ Lots of cedar, very little pine and patchouli, as it dries, it fades away. Fade ~ Bummer that it fades so quickly, personally I blame my skin. It seems to know that there are scents that I really like but say "no, not for you". Final thoughts ~ *Sob* I so wanted this to be a scent to really love, maybe with more slathering would help. *sigh* Scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 3.

a review of Freak Show Vial ~ cocoa bean, fig, lemon, a wonderful chocolate fruity blend Wet ~ the blend is the same. Still lots of cocoa bean and fig are what I am picking out the most. Drying ~ Ahhh, now I am picking up the wonderful pomegranite. The cocoa bean does seem to be disappearing. I can also detect the lemon again. It is an extremely complex blend Dry ~ It is sweet, not overdone, the pomegranite has taken over, yippee, the blend of fig and cocoa in the background makes a wonderful mix. Fade ~ Well over than half an hour after drying, the scent does work, but mostly the pomengranite. Final thoughts ~ Upon first sniff I thought it was another one of Beth's nice chocolate/fruit scent, but this has turned into something more. I am soooo in love with scent. Will definitely be needing another bottle of this baby. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a whopping huge 5.

a review of Fire Eater Vial ~ soapy, not much scent I have been able to detect Wet ~ not much different than what i was trying to sniff from the bottle Drying ~ ah eventually I am picking up cinnamon I think, spicy and faintly floral, but i really have to look for it with my nose, this is not giving off much throw Dry ~ the spicy scent is picking up even more now, still not throwing much, but it is a spicier, I think this one will need some slathering for a second try and to form a better opinion. Fade ~ For me, I did not pick up much of the scent to begin with, so there was not much to it's lasting power. This scent is not going to work for me. Final thoughts ~ I definitely will need to give this a second try and with more slathering, as my skin is soaking up the scent leaving not much behind. But at this point I would have to say this has been a disappointment for me. But maybe I am not seeing what Beth's vision for this scent is suppose to be. On a scale of 1 to 5, I am giving it a 2.

a review of Medicine Show Vial ~ In the bottle I can pick out the tobacco, ginger and traces of the elemi Wet ~ on my wrists, the tobacco is still the strongest scent.If there was balsam, I have no idea how it smells, which I know sounds odd. Drying ~ Still the same clean smelling tobacco leaf Dry ~ unfortunately I am not picking up much throw from this. It is just sitting on my skin and I have to really sniff to find traces of this scent on my wrist. Completely dry and at least 30 minutes later, I think I am in love, it is warm from the tobacco and I bet the balsam also. But it is slighty spicy and it does come across very sexy. Final thoughts ~ I really went back and forth with this scent. While I do love the tobacco aspect of this scent, it really wasn't giving me the OMFG type of love. However on the drydown, it really started to appeal to me and I have a new found love. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 4.5

a review of Torture King Vial ~ I think so far this one has become my favorite. It smells so subtle but yet it is very comforting for me. I am a sucker for musks too. Wet ~ As I smell it I am able to pick out the sweet clove, leather, lime and vetiver. Of course I can pick up the deep musk too. Drying ~ the vetiver comes out rather strong, with a faint hint of the lime. I think for some this might be a bit masculine for them, but I tend to favor those more. Dry ~ Completely dry now, it is grass, smoke, leather, but it is not dry or dusty as one might imagine. The clove and the bourbon keep the it from becoming too dry. Fade ~ Definitely need to wear this one more. It also has a nice throw to it.At one point it the clove faded, but it has reappeared, I might try layering this with some cinnamon later on. Final thoughts ~ This blend lived up to what I had hoped it would be. The scents blend well together and throw off this wonderful scent that is definitely unisex. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this one a 4.

a review of Bed of Nails Vial ~ In the bottle it is very aquatic/ozoney. I wonder if there is some aloe in this. Wet ~ On me it is salty, almost reminscent of Tears, but there is something more to it that I cannot pin down. Drying ~ I think as it dries one of the notes I am picking up on is a trace of lime. I am not picking up any wooden notes. Dry ~ Dry on my wrists, and I have yet to still pick up an sort of metallic scent. But it is definitely salty and the lime is gone. Fade ~ It seems to be lasting quite long, but the throw is not very strong. Final thoughts ~ So far, it is pretty nice, I loved tears and have missed it's departure. It will be good for a summer day or even during the winter. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.

a review of Kunstkammer Wet ~ very fruity, blood orange is very strong in this scent Drying ~ still not picking up any pepper, which is a bummer, because the idea of pepper and blood orange sounds so very good Dry ~ What I thought was tropical fruit smell was just my untrained nose. I looked up what olibanum was out of curiousity and it seems to be another citrus/orange scent although some sites confused it with frankincense. Fade ~ Unfortunately, it has faded to not very much. My skin soaked up this scent and left very little behind. Final thoughts ~ Originally, when I first tried this scent, I was a big overwhelmed by the sweetness and thought it was too much like tropical punch. But upon second try, It was not so nauseous this time. Unfortunately it did not last long on my skin. On a scale of 1 to 5 I would have to give this one a 3.

a review of Bearded Lady Vial ~ In the bottle it is this wonderful blend of rose, jasmine and lily. I am always amazed at how much I am able to fall in love with a floral, before BPAL I never really cared from them. Wet ~ powerdery but very floral, I think I have lost the rose and am just able to pick up the lily and the jasmine. Drying ~ fresh and floral now, not as powerdery as I had picked up before, this scent is so feminine, just as described. Dry ~ The scent has stayed true to it's drying phase. Final thoughts ~ As much as I am learning to love florals, this almost seems too floral for me. But I will keep my bottle for a few more tries to really decide if it really is for me. I would love to give it a try on a night out. On a scale of 1 to 5 I would give it a 4.