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Everything posted by zankoku_zen
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Dirty, smudgy, sage. It dries to a more floral sage. But yes, smells like sage.
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This is definitely an odd duck of a blend. I get a sandalwood, green tea, and orchid. In some ways, this reminds me to the Lupers (I think its the sandalwood + orchid + wood). It's a very sophisticated orchid blend. Demure, sophisticated, orchid.
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Dark, rich, golden incense. Benzoin sweetens the amber, but overall this smells like THE BEST AMBER EVER. Remember O? And how awesome O could be, if you didn't want honey. This is like supercharged amber in O, and it takes center stage. Amber lovers, take note.
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The bergamot is strong on wet, giving this blend a citrusy feel. As it dries, I get more of the sandalwood and ambergris. It's a green, musky ambergris blend. White, whispy, sandy.
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Spicy, musky black leather. In alot of ways, I agree with Melliflous's assessment in that this is similar to Our Lady of Pain, esp. with the dark musk and a hint of orchid. However, it's a much more aggressive cousin with the addition of leather and black pepper - two notes that I amp up to death. So while I deeply love OLOP, Totentanz is too leathery for me. On the other hand, leather fans rejoice. This is a spicy, deeply womanly leather.
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Heavy, deep, masculine aquatic. Oakmoss, to me, would actually make a very effective male scent. Simple, masculine, aquatic.
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Dark, spicy cacao becomes dark, herby cacao. On wet, the spices I get are allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. As it dries, I get rice and catnip. It's dark, herby chocolate.
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If darkness had a smell, it would be this. It's a deep, thick, slightly sweet, slightly spicy patchouli and tobacco dominated blend. No single elements really stands out to me but it just seems blended seamlessly. And that entity is a dark, moonless night, with no star light or moon light to pierce through the all consuming darkness. It smells thick, dark, all encompassing. THIS IS STUNNING. EPICALLY PERFECT in execution. So, having been into BPAL for 8 years now, some blends bring out an immediate and visceral reaction. And this one is one of them. And it's a scent experience. I wouldn't wear this as perfume, but its so evocative and perfect and true to the concept that I wonder how Beth and company managed to capture smothering darkness of a frightening night into a bottle. This is not for everyone. This is not something anyone can wear. But for all the coveting gothic hearts out there, if you ever wanted to wrap yourself in night, and wear darkness like a fucking cape, and have command of that prickle in the back of your neck, wear this. So you won't smell pretty, but fuck pretty when you smell like dark power. It brings to mind something I just read recently: "You celebrate Halloween by nibbling on candy; you celebrate Samhain by pouring whiskey over a bonfire." To carry on the metaphor, this is Samhain. This is power. This is darkness.
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Rose, musk, sandalwood. This is actually a deeply feminine blend on me, because I amp up ROSES like no one's business. Deep, pink, roses.
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Absinthe and soft florals. Sadly, as it dries the ozone asserts itself and drags this blend into a soapy/detergent field for me. But on wet, this was a delicious absinthe with a tinge of spicy oriental perfume. And it was womanly, strange, and gothic. Boo skin chemistry. Boo.
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Vetiver and bergamot. On wet, its a smoky bacon vetiver with citrusy bergamot. It dries down to a smoky vetiver (sans the bacon) and hay. Very masculine, assertive. And yet strange. Probably one of the more intriguing male BPAL blends out there.
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Musky coconut and patchouli. This is a down, dirty, gritty coconut. In other words, this is the coconut that will break your heart. And you'll love it for doing so.
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Leather, almond, and vanilla. This is black leather, softened up by other components. But of all the leathers, black leather and I do not get along. Even though I amp up the black leather like no one's business. Dark, almond, leather.
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Lilies and patchouli. It does remind me a little to Lily Savon soap from Lush, but there's an almost 'dusty' quality to them.
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Dragon's blood, softened with tea. It's warm, gives a coiling warmth vibe, and is a strong blend.
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Brown leather and cinnamon. So this leather sort of reminds me to Quincy Morris, with the same brown leather note. Except this one smells newer. Quincy Morris was well worn leather. This is more like a brown leather whip. It's not as sharp and predatory as black leather, but it's still firm. And new. And just waiting for you to break it in.
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Patchouli, cumin and frankincense. This is down and dirty, earthy, and dry. The frankincense adds just a bit of resinous sweetness to the blend. To me, this smells manly. And by manly, I mean it smells like a guy that can rough it out for a week in a desert, take down stampeding buffalo, and maintain a perfect yoga pose for hours.
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Rosey, vanilla incense. This one is a soft, heady, cuddly blend. On very close whiffs, you can smell the red licorice. This is actually the smell of recalling a pleasant childhood dream as an adult. Totally adorable.
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Stage blood and pantomine gore indeed! This is a dark, ominous and bloody blend in vibe to me. I get the beeswax, rosewood, and vetiver and frankincense. It's dark, creepy, and very much like an abandoned gothic stage. In which you think that's stage blood, but you're not entirely sure. Oddly enough, that demonic possession looked very real indeed.
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Orange blossom, tobacco, tea and sandalwood. This one is a soft blend on me, sophisticated, delicate, dark, and sweet incense. In so many ways, it's like an opium laced dream. There's an almost 'not quite there' blend, like the footprint of ghost, and it speaks of having caught the glimpse of something that you may have dreamed a long time ago. I find this both disquieting and strangely nostalgic. ETA: Now that I'm testing this from a bottle. I get more of the orange blossom, and it dries to a tobacco with a slight tea note and whiffs of sandalwood. It's more a bright, traditional citrus perfume on wet, and then dries to the tobacco blend.
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Okay, so this one is reminiscent of the 2012 Siberian Musk SN (or perhaps better said, the 2012 SN has distinct similarities with original SN). This one is a dark, syrupy, oil as well. It is however, because of the aging, has a softer edge to it. It's a heavy musk, with a slightly light powdery floral edge to it. Whereas the 2012 version was STRAIGHT UP sexy musk and I found it unwearable by itself, this one (and I'm assuming because it is aged) you can almost pull off. At this point, you can smell more complexities in the musk and something that reminds me to Dior's Poison. Heavy, sophisticated, sexual.
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Peaches, red wine, and red roses. This is a very sensual, red wine blend, with rose and peach notes. It's heady, womanly, and very sexy.
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Peach and fizzy champagne! This reminds me to a Bellini! It has that light, sparkling fizziness of champagne notes in BPAL blends, with peach sweetness. Fun, bubbly, party-ready blend.
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Vanilla orchid, butterfly musk (which to me smells like lavender musk), swirls of jasmine and rose. This one is soft, cuddly, and floral. In alot of ways, this reminds me to a non-lavender version of TKO. It's got that same cuddly, warm sugary vanilla + soft florals appeals. It's comforting, sweet, and soothing. On the very drydown, I get twitches of tuberose, which to me are a discordant note in my skin chemistry. If it weren't for that, I'd be searching for a bottle STAT. Despite that, I still very much like this blend.
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Okay, I have to give the lab mad props for Anne of Green Gables inspiration and quotes. This blend is very along the lines of Autumn Leaves, in that you have dry leaves, autumn wind, and a hint of maple syrup. It's very seasonal, clean, and one of those blends that to me is more about the scent experience like No 93 Engine and Wolfsbane. Not something that I would wear, but something that 'nails' the scent experience to a tee. This is a celebration of Autumn, with the dry leaves and the chilly wind. Bravo lab!