zankoku_zen

Black currant, sandalwood and a touch of pomegranate. This is definitely inky dark berries and sandalwood. If you like heavy berry blends, this one is definitely one to try. Good throw and wear length. ETA: There is something almost red-winey about this.

Oak and amber, and something sweet. Honestly, this smells like a mashup between Antikythera Mechanism and O. Honeyed amber and wood. Good throw and wear length. So far, the only unicorn that I'd consider more of.

Masculine, earthy, patchouli with ambrette and agarwood. Masculine, and heady. Good throw and wear length.

Red sandalwood, leather, orris, patchouli and musk. Okay, I amped up everything I was hoping I wouldn't. I was hoping more for a mandarin, vanilla, saffron and sandalwood blend. It's a very golden blend though, but I get a good bit of patchouli and leather on the drydown. Very medieval. Great throw and wear length.

Lilac, orris/cereus, and moss. This one is a white lilac aquatic to me. There's something of a sharpish white floral to me. Slightly waxy. It smells like magical lilac picked at night. Meaning, MAGIC. Wear with caution. Good throw and wear length.

Myrrh, teak, asphodel and cognac. This one is a warm-cool blend. Both the asphodel and cognac bring a splash of cool, but the base is this warm myrrh and teakwood blend. Gender neutral. Good throw and wear length.

Wine grape, red amber, and cassis. This smells like a spiced red wine + amber blend. The cassis is really strong for me. I smell like a cross between red wine and potpourri. Great throw and wear length.

Incense, caramel and oudh. Doused in rum. This one is a boozy incense oudh blend. I was hoping for more sandalwood, tobacco and vanilla aspects. It was definitely a golden brown blend, more gender neutral than I expected (pulling toward the masculine). Good throw and wear length.

LXX (70): This one is a smoky, honeyed, musky vanilla type blend. It's very sultry and sophisticated. In some ways, it has a Voodoo Queen vibe, but if Voodoo Queen was drenched in honey and vanilla.

Red roses, frankincense and myrrh. Touch of clove. Actually, this reminds me a fair bit to the BPTP Red Rose blend. It's got that heavy resin and lush red roses thing going on, with just a whiff of clove. Highly medieval. Good throw and medium wear length.

Green, watery, apple musk. This smells like slightly floral apple water. It's cool, fresh, and very innocent. The apple blossom is fantastic in this. Good throw and wear length.

Lavender, peony, touch of musk and apricot. So, softer than I expected. I do get a fair bit of lavender, and it makes me think of a softer and dreamier TKO. Unfortunately this has almost no staying power on me. Like two hours later and its gone.

Thick, creamy pink rose cream. Powdery roses and a touch of jasmine. Vanilla cream. This was pinkier and rosier than I expected. Good throw and wear length.

Rose and myrrh. This is soft, resinous, and actually pretty Catholic. It smells like church incense from back in the day. The resin sort of reminds me a little to Jacob's Ladder in that its very golden and very sweet. Good throw and wear length.

Coconut, white musk, and a dash of orange blossoms. Good throw and wear length. Very clean coconut smell.

Oudh, rose and a touch of tobacco. This smells like rose perfume. Actually it kind of reminds me of Rose Moon or Mantle of Venus.

For me, this starts off as a salty aquatic with notes of honeyed food, and then dries down to a salty sage with frankincense and nutmeg. This is one of the more interesting BPAL blends that the Lab has put out in a while. You get that salty oceanic/aquatic vibe on wet, and then it dries to a warm, beachy sort of herbal frankincense. I'd actually say this smells like a summer day at the beach, honestly. Not in the typical coconut-suntan lotion way. But more of like a beach that isn't populated by humans. Just cool ocean water, marshes and a bit of warmth from the earth/sand.

Frankincense, woods, and a touch of saffron. This was softer and more wearable than I anticipated. Resinous frankincense, woody background and enough saffron to keep it lively, like a thread of red running through it. Medium throw and low wear length.

Okay, this has the same rooty dark patchouli that Banshee Beat does, and the honey is in it and brings a nice sweetness. I know I've smelled this before and it's going to drive me nuts... AHA! This reminds me to Badgers. I mainly got honeyed patchouli from Badgers and this smells almost exactly like Badgers to me. So for those of you that have a hankering for Owl Moon and are finding it hard to locate, I'd try to snag some Badgers.

#97 This is one is a very bourbon vanilla with a hint of pink sugar. There's a creme brulee aspect to this one as well. Foodie lovers would love this. #323 This one is a more vanilla/less musky version of Lemon Sugar Sticky Bat to me. I get a ton of citrus (maybe more lemon balm than straight up lemon), and dusty vanilla to it.

Pine, sour berries, and a hint of dirt. This smells fresh and green, and very outside. Medium throw and wear length.

Frankincense, amber, chamomile and saffron. This ends like an herbal-amber frankincense on me. A touch sour, but the herbal bitterness counterbalances some of the sweet amber in there. Gloriously gender neutral. Soft throw, medium wear length.

Jojo was softer and cuddlier than I expected. Brown musk, touch of lavender, touch of juniper. The lavender adds this cuddly aspect to the brown musk. And there's a bit of sage that makes it a little more gender neutral. Soft throw, good wear length.

I have come to realize that I love the antiqued amber note that the Lab uses.

*squints* Banshee Beat, is that you? So the smoked vanilla is very present, which reminds me to the vanilla in Banshee Beat (because leather is also such a fierce and powerful note, the same that patchouli is and it plays the same role here as the patch in Banshee Beat to me). Whiffs of copal and a small drop of tobacco. The leather, however, is the same gorgeous feminine leather note that you find in Kunoichi. To me this is a bastard baby of Banshee Beat and Kunoichi, with more smoke and rolling about in tobacco, and none of the floral or hemp notes. Unisex. Great throw and wear length. Honestly, the standout SDCC blend for me.