obsidienne

Oh, Dreamland. Somehow you manage to be a rather wild floral - feral and secretive, yet made of pale and ethereal notes. From whence does this ferocity come? I am inclined to think that it's in part due to this particular skin musk, which seems to be unlike the others I have previously smelled. It's lighter, more like the scent of someone who has freshly showered and then slept through half the night; not so much like the thicker and slightly "dirty" skin musk that I'm used to in BPAL blends. The florals are all of the lighter variety, appropriate for a blend named Dreamland. The osmanthus note provides that light fruity yellow apricot-floral note that I so wildly adore about it, the tuberose is spikier and cooler, the carnation a hint of warm spice. Night phlox -- I am not sure what you smell like, none of the phlox in my back yard have more than the barest of scents, and iris, well, I am not entirely sure about you either (I have no idea what iris smells like). This dries down to a slightly tamer scent on my skin, a faintly musky pale floral with a subdued (and sexy) spiciness. My skin tends to eat blends like these for breakfast (i.e. lighter florals and lighter musks), so Dreamland doesn't have a great deal of throw or lasting power for me; others may have different mileage. I really really love this blend, yet I have a hard time keeping scents that I can't noticeably smell on myself, and I am the first to admit that my nose is not blessed with strength and fortitude. Thus, I am unsure as to whether Dreamland should stay with me, despite its wild beauty. Le sigh.

Have I not reviewed Lyonesse? Well I guess it's understandable, since I was on the fence about it for a long time. The imp I am testing today was acquired in a swap, so I suspect it must be aged. I recently picked up a bottle but haven't tested it yet so I don't know how aged and fresh compare. If there's something worth mentioning, I'll come back and add to my review. First off... I think it may share a musk note with Dorian, as there is a slightly odd, plasticky quality to it at times that doesn't particularly appeal. Or that could be the lily... who knows?! Whatever, I love Lyonesse! It's primarly a musky vanilla lily on me, with sweet amber providing depth. The lightly salty aquatic undertone from the ambergris and moss makes it unusual and special. Lyonesse is filled with some of my worst problem notes: ambergris, grey amber (which is not registering as such, so not so much a problem!), orris, and lily, and yet… it works. It's so creamy, so light, so ethereal, and yet I'm not using the right words here, as it is not a particularly weak blend (depending on where on my body I apply it, anyway). It doesn't last long, but while it's on is has about medium throw. It evokes for me an ocean at sunset, pale & watery golden sunlight washing over the beach and waves. All in tones of pale gold and green with little flashes of white fire from the sun glinting off the waves. Sweet and comforting, yet mysterious. Depending on where I apply this, my skin either eats it, or amps it. My wrists eat it up, whereas in the crook of my elbow, the best that Lyonesse has to offer blooms into a glorious vanilla floral. Someone described it as luminescent; works for me! This is such an unusual blend. It had to grow on me, but now that it has I'm pretty nuts about it. I won't pretend that the slightly plasticky note isn't there… but with Lyonesse, I simply do not care.

Crossroads starts off as a sweet floral with some herbal notes. The florals seem to be of the night-blooming type, including jasmine, but this starts off as a softer jasmine (I said "starts"). I seem to amp BPAL jasmine, which almost always completely takes over a blend once it's been on my arm for a while unless it has been used in severe moderation. I believe there is some rose (white?) in here as well; in fact, this smells a bit like a softer Nyx (I can smell myrrh) mixed with herbs and a bare bit of earth. The incense is quite subtle and not overt. The concept for this blend is quite appealing, and I adore the imagery of crossroads (I watch too much Supernatural and love the idea of making a deal with the Devil at the crossroads! ;D). As it dries down, the jasmine is trying to do that take-over thing, but the other notes are managing to hang on... barely. I like this, though it does still smell very closely related to Nyx. My imp has aged for about a year and has smoothed out; fresh, the moss and herbal notes were a bit too much and made it stab at my nose, but now it's a bit more friendly. The herbal notes fade in and out, sharpening the jasmine, then stepping back.There might be another white floral like magnolia or gardenia, but I am not sure what it is since I don't get to smell a lot of exotic or unusual flowers due to the climate in which I live, and BPAL gardenia doesn't smell like real gardenia to my nose. The earth note is never particularly strong to me even after prolonged wear. The incense remains subtle, and reminds me of the incense in Morgause (a sharpness). Kind of like this disjointed review, this scent is really a morpher. Ever changing, pulsing with scents. I like that a lot about it. I love a scent that smells alive. But overall, I am not sure how I feel about the scent itself. I'm going to keep it since it's fall and I love the concept of this, probably more than I like the scent itself!

This starts off a little bit harsh and very earthy, with the pepper and patchouli smelling quite feral. Then, as it dries down, its feral quality settles back into a very dark fruity floral with an evil core. This reminds me of Mme. Moriarty so much, very much in the same family, but of course it's different, too. For one thing, no vanilla, so it's a lot lighter! It's also fruitier, with the raspberry and plum and pom swirling and dancing amongst the florals. This rose is perfect, like a dark purple-red rose that is black at the tips, the gardenia adding a creamy spicy quality over top. Crypt Queen is so sexy, so vampiric, so amazing. The final effect on my skin is of pure delicious evil. I love this and I hope it gets resurrected some day, since this is one of Beth's masterpieces and the Queen needs to rise again.

This starts off as a very light and springtime floral, very light, very crisp. A little nondescript for me, as I tend to like my florals with a lot of oomph and passion. But as it dries down, the sugar blossom and honey note add this perfect, light hint of sweetness that suddenly takes this into more interesting territory. When sniffing, I get a light honey overlaying the stunning florals, which smell blue, white, and violet to my nose. It's actually very beautiful and deserves the time it takes for it to dry down and develop this lightly honeyed floral sweetness. Rose haters relax, lenten rose is hellebore, which smells kind of like roses and peonies but lighter and less spicy than both. It's totally non-intrusive. That said, this is still a bit too innocent for me. I really enjoy the smell of it, but it doesn't seem to reflect "me". I can, however, see myself wearing this before bed to induce sweet dreams of spring. I'm already kind of contemplating pulling it from my swaps page... but then again, I know this will be more often used in another persons hands. It's definitely a beauty, however. *she says as she huff huff huffs her arm*

Unsniffed bottle purchase, eek! &... success! Although it didn't seem to be when I first opened the bottle and tried it, as it was a slightly soapy incense with orange blossom. So I put it aside to let it settle a bit. It's a week later, and I tested this before bed last night (and again today). There is still a slightly soapy element which seems to be coming from the champaca. However, the soap has already faded and I suspect it will be gone eventually. This smells similar to what I would imagine an orange blossomy Scherezade would be; Scherezade's younger and even more innocent sister. It's not red musky, it just has that nag champa feeling somehow. The orange blossom is very pure and very beautiful, and the sandalwood is not dry, nor does it have any sharp corners or edges, which is a huge relief. Paramatman is smooth and lovely, and I can tell it will age fantastically. And I've already found that it layers divinely with O. Divinely. Exclamation point exclamation point.

Sharp tropical florals and a light, slightly slushy coconut. The comparisons to Snow White don't make any sense at all to me, which is a disappointment since a Snow White-esque blend would have been appreciated! The florals turn into beautiful expensive soap on me, and the coconut, as all BPAL coconut except for a rare few do, turns into a plasticky dusty coconut on me. I am almost tempted to keep it, because it is beautiful, but... soap... I don't really like to smell like soap.

This is so very pretty. It makes me think of an eclipse. It's deep, rich, and golden, with little flashes of the sun's rays. It's also very well blended on my skin, so much so that the notes really don't distinguish themselves too overtly as "saffron", "heliotrope", "amber", etc. There is a slightly herbal note, but very subtle... not that this scent is subtle, it's quite intense and a little goes a long way. That said... as it dries down... something is going terribly wrong. The culprit is chamomile, which is always a problem note for me in blends (and in tea). It ruined Sachs for me. Dreaded chamomile. Yet another fail! I have been trying to step outside the box with new scents and having nothing but bad luck lately. I think I need to rest my chemistry.

White gardenia, white iris, sandalwood, calla lily, French magnolia, muguet, jonquil, and orchid. I'm all sad because Swan Maiden starts off so very beautifully on me, then ends in failure. I think I have to accept that white florals do not often do well with my skin chemistry. Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter because I'm really glad I got to try it! Swan Maiden starts off for me as a lush white gardenia, with some dusky orchid and the barest breath of sandalwood. There is a sweetness to it, perhaps from the lily, and a crystalline quality, maybe magnolia? Whatever the case, it's a cool, chilly white floral. Very lovely. I love the wet stage. Then, five or ten minutes in, calla lily. My nemesis. Calla lily starts to amp. And amp. And amp. Until it takes over everything else. And there is naught but calla lily left, which my skin always turns into a weird sour AND sharp plastic "lily" scent that is not pleasant. Only calla lily can do this to me! It has ruined a fair number of blends so far. I think this is the last time I'll take a chance on it. And so this maiden must find a new home.

This is so not what I expected! When I see that many citrus notes in a blend, I expect a bit of zest, bite and zing. Instead, this is the creamiest duskiest citrus blend I could have imagined. It is very smooth, with nary a sharp edge in sight. The violet sweetness is there, along with a very delicate woodsy note of patchouli. Amber must be contributing to this smoothness, but I can't identify it on its own; the ylang ylang is also incredibly subtle, perhaps there in mere flashes of gold and then off to hide for a while. Overall, this is quite a surprise. That said... I had been hoping for a brighter citrus and less violet. A lot less violet, since violet and me, we are not friends in the least. Thus, onward you go, pretty butterflies and plovers (whatever those are!).

The Harp starts off a bit weird and confused, like it's not blending together... a jumble of notes... and then as it melts into your skin it starts to smell like a light vanilla musk with hints of sandalwood and delicate tiare. I can't smell the tagetes, really. The cardamom adds a hint of exotic spice. All in all, another perfect ethereal vanilla musk floral type blend that is so enchanting and addictive for me. I really really like this. The only problem being, I have to literally hunt for it to smell it. It is so delicate and faint that it's really just a skin scent on me. I feel like I need to slather myself in a carrier oil barrier in order to protect this particular perfume from my skin, which definitely tends to eat oil. I'll scent locket this to see if it improves and extends the experience. But it is undeniably gorgeous. I just wish it smelled about, oh, a thousand times stronger. If I had known it was so faint, I'd have tried for another bottle since then I could feel like I could wear a bit more!

This is such an odd scent.. Were I to sum it up, I'd call it sophisticated baby powder. It's like faint hints of dusty stone, musk, vanilla, coconut, amber, iris (which, btw, smells dusty to me), and a hint of something aquatic, all of which combine to create this sophisticated baby powderish scent. Very soft and pale and light. Extremely odd. And yet compelling. I could see myself wearing this occasionally; something makes me want to order a bottle, even if I am not sure I am in love with this, it could be something that grows on me over time. I think it's the unique quality of it that makes me want to keep it around, and perhaps liberally experiment with layering.

Satyr - luscious and dark and smutty. Smut - different years vary, but it's... smutty musk! Lots of red musk. Debauchery - SO STANKY. Unbelievably so. I can't handle it, but it's got to be said.

THIS. I can barely describe this unusual blend... lush vanilla, smoky, spicy leather, pretty grassy notes. It's odd... but it's also really good. (edit: The only sad thing is that it fades pretty quickly.)

I'm going on memory, as I was lucky enough to test this a couple weeks ago when I visited Ellebelle! The Velvets, with that notes list, ought to have been perfection on my skin. I love all of those notes, and have a great track record with them. So I wish I knew why it smelled like rotting musk on my skin. Just stinky. Bad. Unpleasant. None of the notes listed showed up, just a faint stench. I do not understand it, and I never will. I'm sure I will be tempted to snag a decant and retry it in a year or two, but I'm relieved I didn't buy a bottle as I originally planned to when it went live -- I'd have been pissed!

Oh my. I love this. Once the juniper and cypress burn off, this most soft, velvety rose-chamomile appears and caresses your nostrils with beauty. There's a subtle hint of the herbiness from the juniper and cypress, but just barely; overall this changes a lot when it's dry. I normally find the scent of chamomile very off-putting, like rotting weeds, but the way it is playing with the rose here is just gorgeous. It's like pink and gold roses with that soft chamomile. What a surprise!

This starts off a heck of a lot like Bengal -- loads of skin musk and spices. Then as it dries down, the skin musk-like scent dries back and it gets unbearably dusty, and which may well be one of the ginger notes the Lab uses (I've noted this in Siren and in fresh Saw-Scaled Viper). Like choking on musty dust in the attic you just decided to clean. This note overpowers everything else in the blend for me; perhaps a faint hint of musk and spice hide behind this dust. Oh well, I have a whole boxful of other imps to love.

Starts off pungent and sharp in the nose. There's a herbal note in there, but I can't pinpoint which note it really is. As it dries down, this luscious honey wine note begins to develop and the sharpness tames itself, but something ain't quite right... there's a sourness. This ends with a slightly sweet, golden fermented honey scent with that strange tang. I'm interested to see how this imp ages, but I am not compelled to gather more of this ATM.

A blend of sinuous violet and elegant tea rose: the chosen scent of France’s Demigoddess of Debauch: Marie Antoinette. Ugh, this strongly reminds me of why I dislike violet -- it somehow manages to smell like fake plastic flowers mixed with rubber, and sickly sweet, to boot. The tea rose didn't stand a chance.

This is an odd disappointment -- Obatala smells like lovely milk and coconut and then 2 seconds later... dust. Like the kind of dust that comes out of the furnace after it hasn't been run all summer and you forgot to have the ducts cleaned.

Yes, The Host of the Air! When I smell it I automatically imagine sunlit rolling hills and meadows dotted with yellow flowers -- it's like being right outdoors. Too bad dandelion smells seriously funky on me, because otherwise this makes me think of the beautiful vacations I've had in British Columbia!

I was frimped this, and knowing the notes list, opened it, sniffed it, and threw it into the swaps pile. Today I skin tested it and... it's nothing like what I expected. I'm not into it enough to take time to do a full review, but I can say that it dries down to a lightly musky woodsy smell. Hint of sweetness in the musk. Fairly nice, actually. The only drawback is one sour note in there, not sure where it's from but it's ruining the effect. It's probably the civet. But overall, this is really a surprise (in a good way).

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! I like it even more now that it has aged and smoothed out. Litha starts off a sweet herby floral with lots of honey keeping things together. The herbs are not too green or sharp, as lots of times they seem to be so. The colours I see when I smell this are all soft pale golds, greens, yellows, like a spring dawn. As this begins to dry down, the green notes smooth off a bit and the gardenia -- a very soft, light gardenia -- and the carnation start to amp up into the honey base, adding that lovely slightly spicy floral element that I love about those flowers. This is my favourite part of the blend, when it smells like this. I really dislike the scent of chamomile, but it's not annoying me here, so it must have been added sparingly. I didn't know what vervain smelled like, so I looked it up and it's part of the Verbena family? But if that automatically makes you think, "AAH! Lemon verbena! AAAAH!", trust me the overwhelming scent of that particular note is not a problem here in the least. I can't identify the yarrow, even though I grow it in my backyard every year. As this dries further, the resins come out very softly, like incense wafting on the breeze wafting from somewhere else; for those who dislike incense or shy away from it when it's strong in a blend, this is unlikely to offend. Right now I am getting soft honey, incense, gardenia, carnation, and the green element is back but at the perfect moment, keeping balance between sweet and bright. Honestly, this was beautiful when I got it, but it's even more beautiful now. I don't wear it as often as I should, because copal doesn't always play nicely, but that seems to no longer be a problem now that this has aged. To summarize, this is the perfect springtime blend: light honey, soft florals, wafting hints of incense, soft green. Truly of spring. Very beautiful, and ever changing, so you can never get bored with it! I'm glad I took the time to review it as I may have let this languish in my bottle drawer all spring, when it most definitely needs to be enjoyed!

I smell ash over a bunch of other stuff, but primarily ash. I refuse to skin test this. Off to another home with you!

Mmm, this is bright, lightly fruity and green. It has a bit of sweetness to it. There's not a lot for me to say; I can smell all of the notes, but they are well blended so nothing is taking centre stage. The snakeskin note is definitely a question mark -- what on earth is it? This is definitely the scent interpretation of a glittering green snake with flashing eyes.