Xanon

I can't believe that I have not posted a review for this yet! This is one of my favorite BPAL's, and ranks high in "smells that make me happy." In the bottle it is candy sweet, but the moss and patchouli make it weird earthy candy. I can see where people would get a fake strawberry from this, but I get a red currant hopped up on creamy sugar. Wet i smell the vanilla cream, currant and green moss. I amp green like crazy, but I like green scents, so this is win for me. Dry I get more patchouli and molasses, but the currants keep it fruity an light. The throw is moderate and it lasts for HOURS! As Purrsnikety said, this aged like a dream. Absolutely love this one.

This is my new Spring scent. It's clean and green, but the melon balances it out very nicely. I was a little skeptical of the freesia, but it is not a dominant note for me. I do get the smashed wood lingering in the background. I really like this. It's what I had hopped that Tis the Voice of the Lobster would smell like. I only wish it lasted longer.

Oh I really like this one. I have no chemistry issues with Dragons Blood... I know that there are people out there who do. I was looking for something sweet that was NOT O, something about the honey that is in there goes all powdery on me. This does not do that! Imp - Holy smokes that is some thick oil! Getting some plastic in there, as Venneh mentioned. On - No more plastic! I am getting the cherry spice that others have mentioned. It reminds me of a cherry-vanilla cigar, before it is lit. Dry - pretty spicy honeyed vanilla. Oh, I love this!

Just got an imp of this today, but I am a little unimpressed. I think that has more to do with skin chemistry then anything else. In the imp i get the same rose that I get in my aged bottle of whip. Whip is my all time favorite rose scent that Beth has out out there and I have tried. There is something a little more delicate in the imp. Smells promising. On this gets a little odd as the coconut tinged orris comes out. I think this is where my skin rebels. Dry this went powdery. I get beautiful rose, a hint of the musk, and powdery orris. Sad. This is not bad, and will probably be great on someone else. But my skin and orris are not meant to be together.

This was the chocolate that I was most looking forward to. I love ginger, and chocolate, and cardamon. Rum and I have some minor issues, but I took the chance. In the imp there is something that smells foul. I didn't even want to skin test this it was that bad. It was not the rum either, which I was expecting to have issue with. Wet it gets a little better for me. The chocolate and ginger are a creamy spicy duo that, along with the cardamon, are doing great things. Not getting any rum. That's a good sign. Dry this is FAIL of epic proportions. It smells like ground up nasty vitamins. WTF man! I am really saddened by this blend.

In the decant this is a bit astringent, as others have said. I was expecting the chocolate to be stringer then it is. Wet, I get more of the chocolate, but it is not like last year's dark chocolate, it's lighter. Not like a lighter chocolate, but less of it. Lime is sugared, which I like very much. Dry, the chocolate gets eaten by my skin. Lame. The sugared lime is still present, but with out the chocolate there to balance it out it is almost plastic. This was the best of the chocolates for me, which makes me sad. I'll probably hang on to the decant, as I think it smells good for about the first 20 minutes of wearing it, but after that it is nearly non-existent.

If Smut and Light of Men's Lives had children this would be it on my skin. No grape/purple that I get from this year's Smut... but I do get the musk that is not a part of Light of Men's Lives. I'll have to try this again, I really loved it on but I don't really need an LE that smells so much like a GC.

REVIEW OF 2010 Version I have sniffed at other versions of this and found that there were some years that appealed to me more than others, so I was not going to cry if this one did not work out. Oh, but it did. Wet, I get a grape-ish musky scent. Like yummy musk and purple sugar. Not too heavy on the booze, which for me is a good thing. I amp the alcohol like WHOA. The musks are slightly reminiscent of the Girl for me... yum. Drying this gets less purple sugar and more boozy musk. But sexy. It's kind of difficult to put into words, but I really like it. I feel like a smutty little nymph wearing this. Like I have sexy underwear on under my clothes and only I know about it, but it makes me smile. Does that make sense? Love this, probably going to need more.

I really wanted to love this, but golden amber and I have an iffy relationship. It is really pretty in the bottle, the white peach is amazing. Wet: Glorious peach and the tea are working beautifully. Drying: Oh no... amber and myrrh and plotting to take over. Please, I like peach and tea! You guys can hang out too, just quietly...please? Dry: Headache inducing golden amber. Damn.

I really like this blend. I am a huge fan of the smoky vanilla, ho wood and tonka. I was not sure about the lilac as this is the first blend that I have tried that contains it. In the bottle its a creamy lilac with a floral woody incense lingering in the background. Faintly powdery. Wet its much of the same but a little bit more of a skin musk feel to it. Like clean skin that has been dusted with an incense infused baby powder. Its pretty, but catches at the back of my throat a little. Dry the baby powder feel goes away leaving a spicy creamy vanilla-lilac wrapped around the ho wood. The spice is more incense, which after looking up galbanum, I found that it is frequently used in ritual incense in the middle east. Not really what I was expecting, thank you lilac, but it's really pretty and very different form the other BPAL oils that I have in my collection. This hangs closer to the skin, but does have a moderate lasting time. Very happy with this one.

I was very hesitant at first when I opened the bottle, I got a huge whiff of cumin and anise with very little clove and mandarin. But I skin tested it anyway. Wet it was very much the cumin and anise that I got from the bottle, but as it began to dry down the clove came out to the forefront. After about 5 minutes I got the mandarin mixed in. As thekittenkat said, I too am reminded of those orange clove balls, but they are a little more on the dark side. Dry this balances out nicely. I actually like it more then I thought I would after the initial bottle sniff. My only complaint is this: a little dab will do ya on the initial application, but it does not last long. So I am at a loss of how much to apply with out making the people around me cringe. Frequent reapplications in small doses I guess. Really well blended once everything settles down.

Thanks for posting the pictures Lycanthrope! Oh, I actually really like Metal Tiger. Mine are almost here! Yay!

This is gorgeous! So glad I went with my gut on this one! In the bottle and wet, this smells green as others have said. I get a green grass and leather from it initially. After about 10 minutes the balsam mellows out and I finally get the first hints of the raw vanilla. Raw vanilla is so much different then any of the other vanillas that I have smelled in the labs blends before. It really is like cutting open the bean and letting the aroma come forth. And the leather? It's like a well worn leather. Not plastic/pleather, but more of a warm leather. Really beautiful. After 20 minutes this has become a dusty vanilla and leather scent with hints of parchment... exactly like what I was hoping for from the description. But better. This blend is unisex, but in a totally classy sort of sense. Throw is between light and moderate. Absolutely stunning!

Again... Mail-box unrest disclaimer. (I have had these out of the box for all of an hour now.) Bottle: BAY! Clove, some very blackened sandalwood, and citrus like WHOA! Hello masculine. Wet: Wow, my skin SUCKED the "blackened" out of the sandalwood. Yumm, this is smelling nommy! Dark sexy! Drying: Bay and lime, sweetened ever-so-slightly by the orange peal and patchouli. Clove and tobacco are hanging out with the un-blackened sandalwood. This too is a really well blended scent. Dry (about 20 minutes in): Now I get this faintest hints of the golden amber. Clove and orange peal (with a touch of lime) are mingling nicely with the bay, tobacco and sandalwood (still of the un-blackened persuasion). Also hints of patchouli. Nice. Overall: This blend hangs closer on my skin, probably 3 inches to smell. I thought that this blend would not work for me.. I was unsure of the bay and tobacco, and the blackened sandalwood. Turns out that I really love this blend! If you liked Hell Gate of Ireland, you should seriously consider getting this one too. I feel that this one will age really nicely! I am also anxious to try this layered with both Black Heart and Black Lace (in combination of 2 and all 3)! ETA: Layered with Black lace... amazingly dark and sexy! The cream in Black Lace mixed in with Black Death is super swoon worthy. DH kissed my hand last night, pulled my hand back and huffed the spot where I had mixed the two. "Mmmm, that smells great!" and then more kisses.

Yay! Not the first review. These are fresh out of the mail box here people, so this may change. In the bottle: Sweet Tarts? Yea, sweet pea, plum and probably the vitis riparia are making sweet tarts. But plum-ie ones. Wet: Light and pretty, not overly floral which is something that I feared form Sweet Pea. No more sweet tart, just a well blended fruity floral. Drying: Oh HI vanilla-infused sandalwood! Cognac is keeping things mellow. Ah, there is the pom and vanilla bourbon. White honey must be different then regular honey... I generally can't wear the stuff. Everything is so well balanced at this point. I really love this. Dry (about 20 minutes in): Sweet pea and plum are holding hands on center stage, smiling, while everyone else stands about a foot behind them. Everyone is present, but these two are just a head of all the others. Though, vanilla-infused sandalwood is waving like crazy, trying to be seen (smelled?). Overall: This is really pretty. I am not sure of the lasting time, but the throw is moderate. I have it on one little patch of skin on my forearm, and I can smell it rather well when I get withing about 5 inches of the spot. If you like sweet pea, get this. If you are on the fence for sweet pea, or plum for that matter (though I really think that I just amp plum), but you generally like fruity floral blends, get it. I have a feeling that this will age really well, showing more of the bourbon and sandalwood with time.

Santa Stellans was much to kind to me! THANK YOU! This is BEAUTIFUL! In the imp: clean green grass with leaves crunched in. Wet: Stays true to the imp. Oh, love! Dry: Lightens as it dried, but it is essentially the same. Verdict: This is exactly as described and I am in love! I really like green grass notes, and the depth added by the leaves is just lovely. Not really a dirt scent, but it's green and earthy. I have to hunt down a bottle now!

This smells like a light cool vanilla mint, with a smattering of coconut and pink roses. And Plastic. I really wanted this to work, I like vanilla and rose! I think that the mint and the coconut make it go plastic on me. Such a shame. I'll hang on to this for another week or so before I concede and send it to the swap/sale pile.

I read the notes and thought that it would either be foody, or smokey. Come on, hearth reads smoky warm woods to me. This was a little bit of both but not really in a good way. This does not smell bad, mind you, just indecisive. I feel like if this had either been more foody or more smokey it would have been more successful. Hanging on to it for another week to make sure, but more then likely going into the swap/sales pile.

Pumpkin 5 this year had a nice coffee note. I got a lot of nods of approval form that one. The question with that one really is if you like SWEET coffee. Pumpkin gives it a buttery warm feel, but much different than that of Misk U. I also suggest El Dia de Reyes. I have not sniffed this years, but the 2007 was divine! Sweet, but more spices going on. I was really fond of it and cried for joy when this years edition came out. My ideal coffee scent is one of deep espresso, light cream, cardamon and nutmeg. No sugar. Please. We can talk about adding Ho Wood, that would be acceptable.

If you can hang with roses, I suggest whip. It's seductive roses and black leather. (Frequent male attention when worn.) I love Liz, but some people find her either too floral or too smokey. If you have a hankering for plastic/pleather scents, I'd suggest Kroenen. I have sniffed this one a few time, and truly, I get pleather. But perhaps it will layer well? Experiment! It's what oils are made for.

I am really surprised at how much I like this scent. It was something that I decided to try because I like the story and I was putting together an imp pack of thing that were different then I normally go for. In the imp: Pink and sweet. I can smell the myrrh and star jasmine mixing with the pink musk and amber. Wet: more skin musk playing with the other notes making this creamier. It's like a light pink and cram scent. Gosh she's pretty. Dry: pink cream, sandalwood and amber with hints of jasmine and myrrh. Everything is present and mixed well. I am very happy with this and will definitely bet getting a bottle of this. Love that it's GC too!

Hmm, this is an interesting one. Total morpher folks. In the bottle: Smells like a much more complex Vice. Like Vice and resins. Wet: It has to be the prunes making this so unusual. Light floral mixed with resins and prunes... but not like the prune that comes to mind associated with old people. This is like the Asian prune candies. It's sweet. Dry: Damn it! I am getting grape! I am sad that the chocolate note that is present seems to be like Vice. I like Vice, but it's not really the deep fudge I was hoping for. I am going to hold onto this and see how it ages. I bet this will age beautifully. And besides, I have already been told that it smells wonderfully.

Just arrived from the lab a few hours ago. In the Imp: Sweet, but not like anything that I have encountered. Smells waxy though... Wet: Similar, but less sweet now. Slight hint of smoke, but nothing like what I get from other smoke blends. Dry: like vanilla went and had a fling with bees wax candles and this is their love child. And truth be told... I really like it. Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd stick my fingers in the hot wax of the extinguished candles. It's warm and sweet but not plastic-icky. A bottle may perhaps be needed in the future.

In the imp this smells a lot like a new vial of Tweedledee... but perhaps a little less fruit-loops-esque. Wet: this could seriously be a cousin to Tweedledee. All the citrus and fun, but there is something that makes the go a little cologney. It almost smells aquatic, maybe its the metal. Dry: citrus clean cologne. It's nice, though nothing like I had anticipated. The throw on this is not all that strong, which is fine as I don't like when I amp too much with the cologne scents. (If I go masculine, I want to be spicy) Overall I like this, but not enough for a bottle. Great scent, just not really something that would get much use. This just came today... got to decanter on Monday and to me today (Wednesday), so this may change as it settles. But I am sure that people are anxious to read reviews.

In the imp this smells like almond extract and nutmeg. Nice, but a little strong. On me it smells a little less like extract and a little more like cookies or cake. Not overly foody to me, but I like foody. Dry I get almond cookie and nutmeg and pepper. Perhaps there is a little cardamon in there but it is faint. I like this one, but not enough to get a bottle. Def. pick up a partial if it comes my way though.