Veresti

In the bottle: Bananas - a lovely but artificial banana, like Laffy Taffy. A tinge of grease, oily smell. Overall very nice. Wet: Laffy Taffy banana and really strong grease; something metallic (I assume that is the 'blood') Drydown: Burning grease, oh no! Still has a strong Laffy Taffy banana in the background. Maybe the banana cream pie went up in flames (including the foil dish, as I also still smell metal). Dry: Burnt grease (maybe the flames died down), metal, and a bit of banana. Maybe like you set a piece of banana Laffy Taffy in a foil pie dish, doused it with kerosene, and watched it burn until it finally died out. I am very sad. Very sad indeed. I will have to retest this at some point, but not anytime soon.

In the bottle all I can smell is what smells like bark, with a dry musky scent to it, tinged with the slightest hint of something sweet. I don't know that the something sweet is what I would associate with coconut, but it lends it an irresistible edge. The whole thing smells a bit like something that my stylist puts in my hair as a treatment after dying my hair. It certainly isn't a bad smell, but it is a "fresh" scent and reminds me of cleanliness. There is something in this that - very, very dimly - reminds me of Buck Moon in some way, and I'm probably the only person on earth who has that association. The first time I applied it, I was at work so I used a q-tip and took some off of the cap. On my skin, the sweet smell became very, very strong, the bark/wood smell melded into the musk quite nicely, there is some sort of very dull note in there that is almost trying to be a tang that still manages to be lovely... and I fell in love. I still don't smell a lot of real coconut. I think I remember a lot of people describing "suntan lotion coconut" or something like that, but I'm not getting that either. All I'm getting is this really fresh, really sweet smell. The bark scent is the first thing to fade completely, along with the sharper scent that was lingering reluctantly in the background when I first applied it. By the time I left work, it was completely gone, so sadly Tiki King doesn't seem to have much staying power. I think I'm going to keep it anyways, as even without a long pull, it still packs a nice momentary punch. I couldn't resist the lure of a new prize, and re-applied Tiki King in my truck before I left work... and was shocked. I hadn't read the notes in Tiki King in a long time nor had I looked at the reviews. I had completely forgotten about the fact that there was a lemon blossom note until I was kicked with it in the face when I applied it a second time. I think that was not only part of the tang, but also part of the sweetness that I was smelling. I pretty much guessed what it was, and when I got home, kind of had a dunce moment when I read the notes listed for Tiki King. I still don't get why I didn't smell it the first time around though. The lemon blossom was a lot stronger this time, as was the coconut. I don't think it is the coconut that people are describing as the "suntan lotion" element, I think it is actually the lemon blossom which really smells very sweet. I could be wrong, but I think that is it. What I now know to be ironwood bark takes a complete back seat to a well-blended coconut and black musk with whiffs of strong lemon blossom that send roiling waves of sweetness around you. Predictably the lemon blossom is the first to tone down, but it doesn't leave completely and instead the ironwood bark and black musk depart, leaving a hint of lemon blossom and a bit of coconut that lingers after an hour or two. Once again, this confirms that Tiki King doesn't have much throwing power. This makes me sad as it reacts very well with my skin chemistry along the entire way, but the bottle I have will be very much loved and I may even have to get more even if I have to re-apply continuously.

I really wanted to love Crumpet Rebellion, and I was utterly jonesing for it too, especially with how highly in demand it was. But I don't like it at all. It smells exactly like what it sounds like- a thick butter pastry. The filling is that artificial purple berry filling. I'm not sure what it is, I'd have to give it some thought, but it is definitely a very processed sort of filling (basically slathered with sugar), which is probably what ruins the scent for me personally (I hate sugar in food). If you want to smell like butter and sugary berries, then this is the scent for you. You know, thinking on it, people said blackberries, but I'd say black currant is probably pretty accurate (once again, very much infused with sugar).

Sugar cane, blue musk, mahogany, black orchid, black currant, violet, blackberry leaf, teak, strawberry, and dusky rose. All I smell is a sickly, sickly sweet burnt sugar smell. Not crystalized or white sugar, but that brown stuff, sort of like maple sugar. Or maybe maple syrup left sitting out in the sun far too long during the course of a week or two. I had to wash it off, the combination of notes apparently doesn't agree with me- in fact it makes my stomach turn a great deal. I might try this at a later date, but as it stands, I'm not sure I can handle this blend. And I'm sure this is a constant refrain on certain blends - but this makes me really sad, because I thought the notes would suit me so well. I think one of the bottles is going to go into storage in my armoire, and I've already put up a few of the decants for swap. This scent is really lasting, I would like to note. Ten hours later, I can still smell it pretty damn strongly, and I've washed with strong soap and water several times.

So the collective effect is a very food-y cake-like scent. But you can definitely pick out the cherry blossom and hibiscus - I think that is what gives it that sort of over all cake scent when combined with the guava. Cherry blossom tends to turn utterly sweet and solid to my nose, sort of like ylang ylang but with a different tone. Ocassionally you'll get a whiff of the pink grapefruit and a very small amount of lemongrass if you concentrate on the notes. This is a very complex scent that I'm actually extremely pleased with. I think this will be a classic, just like Beaver Moon or Buck Moon (and I suspect Sugar Moon is going to be a hit too), and ultimately will be in high demand (my personal guess) in time. My review is kind of late (and oh my god, I love you BPAL for how fast the turn around time has become) since I received it awhile ago. I was actually really frightened that the vague "blossoms" listed there would utterly ruin the scent, but it hasn't.

I smell the violet, dewdrop and rhododendron along with the daisy the most (maybe a bit of Iris), I think. I wouldn't call this a "bright" scent, in fact I'd say the very opposite - Flower Moon is a very laid back, sweet scent - unlike a lot of florals (and mind you I really hate most florals), it isn't overpower on a single note, and it also is very distinct without knocking you over. I was pleasantly surprised by Flower Moon, which I obtained a few years ago (my review is very, very late, I realize). I think the lunacy blend with the florals made this scent tolerable. Most florals send my stomach rolling or running to wash it off because it is threatening to send me into convulsions. I guess the best comparison is being me being six years old up north here in Minnesota, laying down on the Great Plains in the middle of spring, when everything is fresh, but the grass scent isn't over powering because you have the flowers in full bloom. And it carries on the air, wafting but not killing you with how strong things are (which they tend to fall into at the end of summer/fall as a great number of them begin to truly pollinate.

Strawberry Moon -Strawberry, very sweet and ripe, but also natural. I smell the lunar oils, but I don't smell much in the way of cream. The ylang ylang is definitely very noticable, and as usual turns utterly sweet on me. I don't smell the green tea nor do I smell the sage (thank you, thank you - I loathe sage). I'm not sure I'd wear Strawberry Moon on its own very often. It is sort of like Lolita or Beaver Moon 2005 - not meant for day to day use. This review is utterly delayed by about three years, haha. I'm just not very strong on giving actual reviews I guess.

Aureus In the Bottle: I am really not familiar with this type of scent (it was a frimp in an order), but this is utterly strong. I am not sure it would be considered "traditional" incense, but it kind of smells vaguely like amber is in there. Some sort of resin at least. On the Skin: Same scent, just as strong as in the bottle- weird, I don't encounter that often. Two Hours Later: Jesus, the resin is really strong. And I mean extremely strong. I don't smell the herbs or lemon verbana others seem to be getting. I smell some sort of wood floating in the background, but I'm not sure what it is yet. If my skin chemistry is true to nature, the wood is going to utterly take over. Four Hours Later: The resin has faded a bit, and the prominent note is that wood. I just can't identify it, although I'm trying very hard to. Verdict: I usually like anything with that nice wooden smell as the lingering note, but the resin like incense makes this too overpowering for my nose. It isn't a bad scent at all, just not something I personally find pleasant.

Bon Vivant In the Bottle: Champagne - and it really does smell like it actually should be bubbling. It blends really nicely with the strawberry. It is sweet, but not overly so, the strawberry mellows it out without losing the zing of the actual notes. On the Skin: Just as lovely on the skin, smells like it does in the bottle. Two Hours Later: The champagne note is fairly predominant over the strawberry suddenly, although it is still a wonderful scent. Four Hours Later: Gah, it keeps going, and going, and going, and going - I'm in heaven. I absolutely love this scent. Verdict: I really need to get a hold of a bottle of this ASAP.

The Black Tower In the Bottle: I'm not getting any sweet scent others are describing - none of that red wine, which is sad. Another note I am disappointed is absent is the leather with ebony. The teak, ambergris and burnt grass is very strong, On the Skin: Very strong teak, and burnt grass. The ambergris isn't as solid as it was. I can smell the blackened steel extremely well - it is almost stronger than the teak. Still no sign of leather with ebony or red wine. I can just barely smell the English ivy and white sandalwood, but it is very weak. Two Hours Later: The blackened steel, teak and burnt grass has faded a bit, but it is still a solid presense. I'm getting a thicker whiff of the white sandelwood, which is good. The English ivy is blending nicely with the white sandelwood. I really wish the teak wasn't present with that mixture - it doesn't seem to combine well with the other notes. Four Hours Later: The blackened steele and teak still slaps me upside the head, but probably just because I'm expecting the pain of sinus pressure and migraines that accompanied it previously. The English ivy is mellowly present with the white sandelwood, so it wouldn't be terribly bad Verdict: Not a fan of at all, which is really sad because I was looking forward to it. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Black Forest In the Bottle: All I smell is the pine, so thick it is choking; it is extremely strong with that black musk. I've mentioned this numerous times, but pine scents hate me and I loathe them. I can smell the juniper and ambergris, but they aren't enough to save the scent. On the Skin: Oh god, even more pine, if that is possible. Like a big cloying christmas tree with some sort of animal's skin rubbed all over it, and not in a good way. The juniper isn't really present as much. Two Hours Later: I don't think I'll make it to the four hour mark. The pine is killing me, and as always, giving me a migraine. The musk has turned sweet for some odd reason, which is really a rather foul note when mixed with ambergris, I personally think. Four Hours Later: Couldn't keep it on, my stomache was roiling. So I washed it off with a pretty powerful skin cleanser about five minutes after the two hour marker - but the thrice damned thing persisted. Wow, this is probably going to have a lot of staying power on some lucky person who doesn't turn the notes into mush on their skin. Verdict: I'm sure it would smell very pleasant on someone else. I sincerely believe that. But my skin chemistry does not get along with pine, nor does it deal well with the combination in this oil.

Bliss In the Bottle: Chocolate, but there also seems to be some sort of sickly sweet scent in the background. Perhaps caramel, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. The chocolate is definitely a sugar jolted milk chocolate. On the Skin: Same as in bottle, surprisingly. Two Hours Later: Milk chocolate still but a bit more mellow, the sickly sweet note died down, so it isn't bad at all. Not something Four Hours Later: Non-existential, completely gone - it doesn't have staying power at all. Verdict: Not something I would buy a bottle of, but I might as well use the imp on something. Maybe as a room scent or in a candle. Otherwise it isn't an oil I would wear in daily life, or even going out.

In the Bottle: Good fucking hell - this scent scared the shit out of me when I first sniffed it. Ugh, fir does not agree with me *cringes* I was sort of weary about putting it on. All I can smell is fir and chrysanthemum with that sort of medicinal back ground, which must be the "ice flurry." On Skin: Gah, fir, fir, fir, and more fir, with chrysanthemum and now a bit of the narcissus. Narcissus is usually my friend, but it has betrayed me. Thirty Minutes Later: I still have the pounding migraine that I got a few minutes after slapping this on. Not getting any better, and certainly not fading any. An Hour And A Half Later: Okay, I braved that migraine out for another hour - still not diminishing much, just a lot more fir, but the medicinal back ground note has utterly disappeared, which is a pity- it was the only saving grace in it. I had to wash it off at this point, because I couldn't stand the pain any longer. Verdict: This is the type of perfume the little missy from the secretary pool has put on to be adventurous and in season. She doesn't notice that she has literally bathed herself in this scent, and thus is making the more sensitive noses of those around her suffer. People debate about whether or not to actually say something, but in the end the only one who bothers to say anything is the cleaning lady, who notes that it smells remarkably similiar to the toilet cleanser. She then asks the secretary if she accidentally fell into said toilet earlier in the day. I'm sure it is lovely on some skin types, but it certainly wasn't for me - the fir definately killed the entire oil for me.

In the Bottle: Holy herbal! Astringent, and very much like freshly harvested flora. Not sure which are what part of the flora the notes are pulled from, but it certainly isn't your typical daisy or rose. Of course I mean this in the absolute best sense. It isn't overpowering, but it also isn't dreadfully played down either. It's a very clean scent, in spite of the underlying musk. I am sheepish to admit that my first thought was Belladonna- it has similar notes in it or at least a common base note. Of course I ran out of my Belladonna imp ages ago (woe). On Skin: Pretty much the same, still just as sharply herbal. Two Hours Later: Still the same, a little more musk is coming out to play. Four Hours Later: Jeesh, this has a lot of staying power. It still is very herbal, but what smells like some sort of wood or dried pulp scent emerges and mixes surprisingly well with the flora. There are few scents I know of that can pull off that without getting this weird under note to it that makes my noise twitch. End Note: I didn't smell pine at all - not once during any of the times I've used it. The only pine scent I've been able to tolerate is Voodoo, which really doesn't count. So I know if any of you out there are like me and loathe the piney fresh scents, give this one a try - it really doesn't have that scent! I'd be personally surprised if it did, but I could be wrong since I ended up loving Voodoo, as I mentioned before. All in all, I give Wolfsbane four stars. It isn't quite up there with my love for Deadman's Hand, Dorian, Jack, and Asphodel, but it is certainly a well loved scent. P.S. No citrus notes either, blargh, that would be utterly fowl I think with the herb notes in here along with the wood and slightly musky scent.

I'm tempted to be absolutely snarky and say that it would be if the actual plant and fruit had rotted. But that isn't really fair to generalize the scent like that. I think it is just my skin chemistry that utterly killed it. The scent didn't improve as time passed, it just seemed to rott even further - I ended up smelling like a big compost pen. I had to shower immediately afterwards.