liquidtrance

Amber, clouded over by a resinous wood smell. This scent is like waking up and uncurling from inside a warm, well-worn and well-loved wooden box (having once been the resting place of incense) stored beneath an attic window, mid-day in early fall, sunlight pouring in over you. I haven't been able to stop wearing this scent. I love to put it on my wrists just before bed, curl up under the covers in my cold, drafty bedroom with my dog, and fall asleep to this smell. It is incredibly soothing and comforting to me. Dry, but very warm and reassuring. Unfortunately, this scent dissipates in strength drastically after about 15 minutes. For the first fifteen minutes it has the perfect throw. Modest, but enough to easily envelope just my personal bubble. Not something that comes storming into the room with you. But, as noted, it very quickly becomes a second-skin smell on me. Not a horrible thing, but I know I'll go through it much faster this way. This is one of the VERY few scents that I have bought not one, but TWO bottles of. This says a lot for my collection.

Thanks, Monday! I think I might have an imp of that somewhere. I'll need to dig it out to re-test it! I remember it being a lovely amber, but I think it lacked the supporting wood-scent that I'm hoping for. Maybe I can find something else to layer with it.

Similar scents to La Lugubre Gondola? I love the soft, well-worn dry woodsiness of Gondola.

I've always wished my house could smell semi-permanently like a Christmas tree. I adore the smell of Christmas pine trees, but never purchase them for my apartment during the holidays. My neighbors toss theirs in the brush heap outdoors after christmas, and I love walking by when I go out with the dog and smelling wonderful, sweet pine. This is glorious. To my nose, the spruce and pine are the heaviest note, followed closely in the beginning by a very sweet, vanilla snow note. The sweetness eventually burns off a little bit, but this remains a sugary snow-covered christmas tree. The stone note never discerns itself.

I got an empty bottle from a decant circle, with just enough oil in the bottom for several uses. Let me start by saying I have a love/hate relationship with patchouli. I really- stubbornly- want to like patchouli, but often it is harsh or masculine or acrid on me. Back in the day, I got a decant of the Amber and Patchouli HG but it would just never jive with me. The usual patchouli problem. This hair gloss? This is fucking amazing. The sugar note here tempers the patchouli so well, it's hard to pinpoint this as patchouli once it's in your hair. Upon first applying, the patchouli is snarling and loud but within moments the sugar comes along, gives the patchouli a pat on the head, and it all settles down into a beautiful cloud of sugared earth. Which is not to say that this patchouli smells of dirt, but simply that it retains it's woody roots. This is the greatest blend of warm sugar and earthy patchouli. Not too much of either. I wanted to buy bottles of all three Hallowenches hair gloss.... but all my money might end up going to this!

This spray deserves so much love! I'm not usually a foodie. Ever. Dark resins and incense are my ticket, but I thought I'd go on a limb to try this one-- because the bptp Weenies this year are made of so much win. I think the smoke gives this a slightly caramelized-sugar smell which blends seamlessly into the graham cracker note, which is quite prevalent. ETA: I think this could be a chocolate-graham cracker smell to my nose. At first I thought the chocolate was non-existant, but I think it's just hugging the graham crackers! This is definitely a "pumpkin marshmallow" scent, not a pumpkin and (or with) marshmallows scent. Basically, it's sweet sweet with a hint of pumpkin. But there are no spices, and the pumpkin is not particularly buttery to my nose. But that doesn't make this a raw sugar pumpkin smell either. Very rich without seeming 'buttery'. This is a shockingly comforting scent. I always spritz my atmo's on my sheets and blankets on my bed for greater staying power, and this is a surprisingly warm and snuggly sleeping scent. For someone who never reaches for foodie smells, I'm considering a bottle of this! This spray also has great throw (though most bptp atmo's do!)-- one spritz on my bed scents the whole apartment! Also, my dog loves this scent! After spritzing my bed, be flopped and rolled all over the place to try and wear the scent.

Expectation: In a perfect world, I'm rooting for a lavender/fir/musk dominant gloss In the decant: This is everything I've ever wanted! Applying to hair: Cedar... and a strong blast of herbal lavender. Drying: CEDAR, tempered with vanilla musk. I can see how this leans towards pencil shavings (been there, done that with cedar notes), but this doesn't quite go that far. The vanilla musk tempers it. It is VERY strong on the cedar though. Lavender is zilched, and most of the other notes are indistinguishable. Drydown later: Still cedar-cedar-cedar, but there is a rich creaminess to the vanilla musk which I think is the coconut making an appearance. Verdict: Not what I wanted, but probably still worth a bottle purchase! Happily unique.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what mullein smells like http://www.bpal.org/public/style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/00000288.gif This is certainly similar to the October, and the leaves of "A World Where There Are Octobers". In the spritzer: I can detect the smoke and apple bark most prominently. This is beautifully autumnal. When first spritzed: Leaves!! To me these are not blackened, scorched leaves, but dried leaves that have maybe sat in some recent rain. Settling: Sweet, sweet myrrh with a backdrop of leaves. I think the smoke and scorched quality is registering too much with the leafy goodness to distinguish itself separately, and the apple bark (once apparent in the bottle) is no longer free-standing. Very well blended. Overall, surprisingly beautiful. There is a richness and fullness of scent here that, to me, goes against the description of such dry smells (smoke, blackened leaves, dusty mullein, bark)-- and I love it. I was a liiittle worried that this blend would be too harsh in its evocation of a darkness and the underworld, but it's really quite lovely. I wouldn't hesitate to use this anywhere in the house.

In the imp: Spicy carnation, whoooooa. A touch of either the balsam or pine-- something a little bit green. On skin: Carnation single note, ahoy! Clove jumps in for the party, adding to the spice-factor. Dry: This morphs like crazy and eveeeentually, the carnation calms down and tempers with the musk and vanilla. There are dreamy wafts of lovely scent around, but I couldn't quite name the combination for you. Verdict: I was really hoping for a surprising pine/leather balsam/musk scent, with a hint of spice and floral, but carnation steels the show. Pine never even waves hello from a distance. The dry down is really great, but I just don't like carnation enough to wade through the initial phases.

(Used on wrist as a perfume to test) In the bottle, this is quite well-blended. I'd say the lime and mint are most notable, with rosemary adding a "Hmm.. what IS that other note?" quality to the background. The 'pink' of the lime adds a sugared sweetness to the whole blend. I don't detect the eucalyptus in particular, though I think it's part of the rosemary's "Hmmm..." factor. Definitely a bright and fun scent! On skin, this becomes a solid dupe of Naiad Soapworks "Pink Sugar" scent. Very softly pink and almost creamy. I was hoping for a bracing eucalyptus scent from this blend, because I so rarely see eucalyptus in bptp blends. Here though, it's a soothing soft scent. All the sharper edges of the citrus and mint fade, and leave this smelling solidly "pink." Not what I was expecting, but not a disappointment!

In the bottle, the notes that stand out to me are the the rose and perhaps the sugar blossom. I wouldn't guess patchouli were here if it weren't listed. I was expecting the patchouli to darken the scent, but I find it's what I would expect from a black rose note-- heady and a little musky, but quite floral. On skin, red musk single note. I was initially scared that the rose would dominate, because my skin blares rose like nobodies business, but here the red musk is unstoppable.

In the imp: This is WHOA ALMONDS, and just a teensy hint of leather. And lo, I cursed the imp up and down for it's almond heavy scent. "WHY, Almonds? Why?! I do not want maraschino cherry-cordial-blech!" But I rallied onward! On Skin: The almond all but evaporates within minutes (!), and the leather warms into place. I agree that this is a well worn smelling leather, in a surprisingly tame way. This is not the tannic leather from something like Saloon #10 atmo, nor the harsh chemical leather of Spanked. This is deep, but not vicious leather. Helping it along is the patchouli, whispering in the background-- I believe this to be what is keeping the leather in check. 'Black leather' gave me second thoughts, but here it is an earthy leather. Accompanying all this is the almond husk and what must be the woodsy oak leaves and vanilla. Overall, this is an ever-so-slightly sweet leather, with an earthy backdrop. Masculine, but wearable for women. I was VERY surprised that the almond tamed down as much as it did. This definitely warrants keeping the imp!

I was hoping Sic Erit would have stand-out wood and patchouli notes, but alas that is not the case. In the bottle, the geranium (?) does seem to be dominant, though I am not familiar with it on its own. It smells warm and floral. Wet on skin: The patchouli couples with the red musk. This is still a very lush, warm smell. Amber, benzoin, geranium, woods... No sign whatsoever to my nose. Boyfriend comments that it smells like clean laundry. Drying and hours later: This is ALLL red musk. Normally I amp cedar to high heaven, but apparently, red musk takes the cake here. All other notes are absent. Overall, rather disappointing. Sometimes the notes don't work in your favor. If you like red musk, this is a scent for you. If you're searching for a dark patchouli/woods scent... Continue searching

It is SO useful to be able to test Single Note Accords! French Tobacco provided me with a huge "AH HAH!!" moment when I got my bottle in the mail yesterday-- THIS is what amps on me from Autumn Lace! This tobacco note is almost syrupy sweet to my nose, and reminds me a little bit of maple syrup. On a second skin test later in the day, it translates more as a dry, fresh pipe tobacco when first applied, but it becomes even sweeter as it dries. (And certainly a lot sweeter than the smell of my boyfriends' American Spirits) I had always assumed that what I was smelling in Autumn Lace was a combination of leaves and maybe incense, but it turns out it's almost entirely tobacco! Neat! As other folks have testified, this stuff lasts a good long time! One bottle will last me forever. Lovely, absolutely lovely.

For the longest time I have been convinced that vetiver is a death note to me. I realized, though, that I've never smelled vetiver by itself. So, for the sake of scientific research I decided I needed to bite the bullet and try the vetiver single note! Verdict: In the imp-- At first whiff, this is smokey, scorched, earthy and very strong. Everything I have ever feared to be caused by vetiver. But taking a few more breaths of the scent alludes to a more complex and layered aroma. On skin-- This quickly morphs into a scent that is rich and dark. Still quite 'earthy' smelling, but now so much more of a perfume scent than a deterring, scary smell. I can definitely relate to the sentiment that this is a grounding scent. The scent really covers a wide range as it wears, subtly morphing throughout the wear time. I can only imagine how this oil will age. This is so much more than I was expecting, and so much less scary! Hah! Now I'm starting to wish I had ordered a bottle and not just a decant! I am now a total vetiver convert. No longer will I avoid all scents listing it as a note!

Out of the mailing envelope, this smells of rich patchouli, earth and leaves. In the shower, this instantly becomes CEDAR TO THE MAAAX, with the barest hint of fig if sniffed up close. Patchouli disappears almost entirely. Lovely lather! Final verdict-- This will be relegated to the boy. I don't quite savor the hamster cage that this conjures to mind in the shower and I think he's ambivalent to it.

Our vegetal musk blend that emulates the scent of Siberian musk deer gland secretions. The description doesn't sound sexy, but the scent sure is. This is a vegan, cruelty-free perfume. No animals were harmed, fondled, squeezed, prodded, or in any way violated in the making of this accord. Upon first sniffing this blend, I too was astounded and instantly thought "Snake Oil!". So of course, this requires side by side comparison! At a side-by-side comparison, aged Snake Oil is powdery vanilla with a hint of musk. Mostly sweet, but very soft. On my skin, Snake Oil is very one dimensional and powdery. The vanilla usually seems to turn artificial and warps in coupling with the other ingredients. Usually someone asks if I'm wearing baby powder. Siberian Musk is crisp and almost spicy. At first sniff, I do definitely get the cola references some people have mentioned. But upon deeper smelling, it is much more complex than that. Siberian Musk has all the right bits to evoke Snake Oil, but is in reality much more swarthy, animalistic, and complex. (I think it is likely much closer to Snake Charmer, but I don't have my bottle to compare to at the moment.) The scent stays rich and clear on my skin. Some whiffs play coy and sweet, and others are much darker and animalistic. This is a pretty naughty musk, that masquerades as something more innocent. This could be worn as something sophisticated or something smutty, depending on your desired outcome. The scent definitely keeps me enthralled, and is not so aggressive as to drive me to complaint. Throughout wearing the scent and into the dry down, the scent really makes me think of many things. This is one of the first BPAL blends that really evokes that "Ah ha!" moment, realizing the genius of smells. It's like a roller coaster of playfulness, anticipation, nostalgia and security. Overall, I'm pretty amazed with Siberian Musk. I expected something all right, but I can really only imagine how beautifully this will age! Disclaimer: This is definitely a musk, though. No doubts about that. If you are not a fan of musk, all the Snake Oil references in the world won't make this blend amazing for you. (But it IS pretty effing amazing!)

I had hugely high hopes for this scent! Almost all win notes... except the dreaded jasmine, which I conveniently glossed over when ordering my decant due to my glee in seeing all the other notes. Imp Sniff: Jasmine. All jasmine. All the other notes sound great! Where are they?! Wet: Jasmine. A very pink, plush jasmine scent. There is nothing serious or studious about this at all. Drying: The jasmine backs off just slightly, in the sense that it goes from jasmine at full volume, to just unnecessarily loud jasmine. It's still really the only perceptable note. The fig might be underneath the jasmine, but really it is still only a radiant pink scent. 1-2 hrs later: The leather/fig/maybe oak? finally peek out, but by now the scent is fading into non-existence on my skin. Sigh. Maybe it's batch variation, but I smell NO other notes when sniffing this from the vial, and for nearly the entire duration of this scent on my skin. Maybe it just needs some time alone.

This scent was a gamble for me. I love tobacco, vanilla is great, I have no special interest in cocoa, and patchouli worries me. I fear smelling like a dirty hippy, but I had to know what #OccupyWallstreet smelled like! I tested this the same day I received it. In the bottle: Dirty, gritty patchouli for sure! Phew! Wet: Heavy green patchouli, swirled with tobacco and the barest undercurrent of vanilla or cocoa. Dry: Holy cedar! Ack! This became an incredibly husky cedar and tobacco scent. Lots of throw. After several days rest, though, this oil behaves MUCH differently on my skin. Wet: This is still a rich potent patchouli. Dry: Very quickly this tempers down into an amazing blend of all the notes. The patchouli is completely tempered down by the tobacco (no cedar scent at all!), and the cocoa and vanilla make this a very rich scent. I cannot pick out the patchouli specifically from the blend anymore. I have never been a patchouli fan girl, but this scent makes me change my mind entirely. Unfortunately it has very little throw, and my skin seems to swallow it within an hour or two now. As a side note, I took a wooden skewer to try and stir the cocoa sediment at the bottom of my bottle as other reviewers had mentioned (it's definitely a strange black, dry sediment down there) and then used the stirrer to apply some oil to my wrists. I then had a fairly heavily oiled stirrer and nowhere to put it, so on a whim I decided "Why not light it on fire?" I have to say if this blend had a smoke note to it, it would be TO DIE FOR. The scent of lightly toasted wood coupled with the burning oil was amazing. Downright amazing. I can only imagine how well this scent will age. I'm definitely keeping my bottle. ETA: No really, this scent is amazing. I have never gotten two bottles of ANYTHING, and really I usually regret a full bottle of most blends... But I am fo' sho' getting another bottle of this.

This is a perfect blend of these notes in my opinion. I like all of these notes, but some have a tendency to amp to high heaven on my skin, so I considered this blend a gamble. Honey often overwhelms everything to sickening sweetness on me, myrrh can turn to bubblegum, leather can become blusteringly dark... ...Tobacco's usually fine Here, though, all the scents stay in harmony. Wet to dry, the notes step forward and behind eachother, but never by more than half a pace. This blend is both sultry and sweet.

In the imp: Beautiful, amazing coconut spiked incense. Wet: Coconut and ambergris? Drying: Starts to become more artificial... Dry: This smells EXACTLY like the plastic that My Little Ponies (and similar plastic toys) were made of when I was a kid. And a slight twinge of coconut suntan lotion. Overall, disappointment given my personal expectations (Damn you skin chemistry!), but beautiful enough in the imp that I will save this for a scent locket.

Lovelies: #OccupyWallstreet (x2) Ambergris Accord SN And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt Autumn Lace (x2) Black Forest Crowley Dorian in the Pumpkin Patch Eldritch Dark Faunalia Feed Me and Fill Me With Pleasure French Tobacco SN The Grand Basin Haitian Vetiver SN Heavenly Love and Earthly Love Ivanushka La Lugubre Gondola (x2) Red Lantern 2007 The Shivering Boy Siberian Musk Skadi '13 Smut 2011 Snake Charmer: Res Snake Oil ('09) Wolf Moon '13 Willing to part with... The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil Bezoar Chaos Theory V: Snake Oil Herr Drosselmeyer 2010 (1/3) Hell of Great Heat (1/2+) The Illustarted Woman (1/2+) Wild Men of Jezirat al Tennyn (1/3+) Quietude Empties: A Low Candle-Lit Room Carnation SN In Winter In My Room Lovers with Rutting Cats Mme. Moriarty Midnight Mass '13 Narrow Opening Sleipnir Snake Oil 10ml ('06) Arcana: Tinderbox (x4) Growl Filthy Viking Bonfires at Dusk Madame Lapine Haunt: Winchester '12 (x2) The Burying Tree {Updated 2/6/14}

Lily strong as ever, especially belligerent paired with the lemon. Please dry into something nice? 10 mins later, still lilyx100. I can start to smell other notes edging around, but the lily muddles them and makes my eyes water. As ever, fresh and clean scent. Starts to get a bit... Gets almost a little woodier? Still very hard to discern, and still overwhelmed by lily. No Thanks.

In bottle, smells almost of orange flavoring for baking, or something similar. On skin, a softness, a slight twist with the bergamot, almost a clean soap scent…The plum, something sweet, seems to be hiding in the background. Clean, but rather comforting. As it continues to dry, it remains 'clean', perhaps the lillies are doing this. Seems to be getting less soft and mostly just clean.

Whooooa. Unlike almost all the other scents I've tried so far. Fruity candy in the bottle. At first application to wrist there's a distinct clove/spice smell mixed with what must be the violet. The blend is super creamy, subtely incensey. The violet sneaks up as an "after-taste." Very nice. Rich, smooth, and warm. Not too much incense or spice, and not too much floral. Weirdly pleasing. It might be the violet that's keeping it incense, but not heavily so. Gets slightly more violet-floral as it dries further. Not quite a clean floral scent. I almost feel conflicted about this scent, but not enough to say I dislike it. On the retest, the clove seems pretty prominent. No real violet smell to speak of. Very .. vanillic? though. Probably the tonka contributing to the creaminess.