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I find this one really interesting because I love Anthelion. I really do. But most other scents that have lavender as a component make me sleepy. The closest lavender to the one in Anthelion to my nose is Oneiroi. Which is my favorite sleepytime blend. So I probably would need an expresso before I start my layering experiments. I'd love to hear other people's suggestions about this too.

An enigmatic, otherworldly scent, brimming with power and mystery. Lavender and jasmine, with a touch of glowing honeysuckle. In the imp: lavender and jasmine On Skin: Jasmine BLOOM EXPLOSION! On Drydown: The jasmine calms down, but she's pretty much centerstage here. The lavender skirts around the edges. No known honeysuckle presence yet. Verdict: Bright and flowery jasmine. There's something very clean and cheery about this scent and I could see scenting soap with this. So far, this has been the 'purest' jasmine scent I've smelled in BPAL so far. I like jasmine and how it smells. Now I have to figure out if I want to smell like jasmine.

I agree with edenssixthday that this blend smells like the end of winter, barren and frozen. It is a stark and clean scent. The snow and pine are the most prominent for me at the beginning and then I get the verbena peeking out, making it a lemony/citrusy sort of cold morning. It is sharp. It is bare. It is also 'hungry', in the sense that the absence of things makes you feel 'hungry' or incomplete. I don't do well with the desolation of winter, and that's what this scent feels like on my skin. It's an amazing olfactory experience in that perspective, but for me this isn't a userfriendly scent because I don't feel entirely comfortable with it. Which is sad, because it really does smell lovely. Again, proving that I'm so not a winter person. I wish I were (sometimes). (This is one of those times).

In the imp: cherry and spicyness! On Skin: I smell the red musk, because it smells very similar to Mania, Hollywood Babylon and Spellbound. I love red musk, so that's good. I smell a tinge of cherry. On Drydown: Pretty much just 'red musk', but sweeter. That's probably the cherry there. Verdict: I was hoping that the star anise would make this spicier. I would recommend this blend to people who are just starting out on BPAL to figure out if red musk works on them, if they like cherry, and if they might like spicy scents (although I didn't get spicy out of it). It loses however to some of the more complex red musk scents in my book, mainly because it's pretty much just a sweet red musk on my skin.

In the imp: Green and fruity. And by green, I mean green vibes. On Skin: Still green and fruity, but I get a whiff of patchouli. On Drydown: The patchouli starts to dominate for a while. There are fruity wafts around it though. After an hour or two: Back in fruity territory. I think this is predominantly mango. Verdict: This is a sweet and juicy scent. It's almost too sweet for me though. I'm glad I found a scent that patchouli does not dominate in... at least, not ALL the time. But if you're looking for a green fruity scent, this is it. There's something very cool about it, like eating cold fruit on a summer day. Very tasty.

In the imp: spicy and rummy On Skin: Rich, rummy, sweet and spicy On Drydown: I can get whiffs of the clove. So tasty. Still pretty rummy and fragrantly spicy. After an hour or two: I get occasional whiffs of clove from my skin, like if I'd been smoking clove cigarettes, minus the smoke aspect. On the other hand, it's pretty much faded from my skin. Verdict: Oh, if it had only lingered on my skin some more.... nevertheless with such a disappearing act, it wasn't meant to be. Oh, don't run away Port-au-Prince. You break my heart so.

In the imp: bright, cheery and yellow vibes come to mind. On Skin: It smells very much like Snow Bunny on my skin, minus the pine. A little more floral. On Drydown: The snow note fades. I get soft, powdery florals and again the yellow vibe coming from this scent. There is a teeny plasticky hint to it. After two hours: It's a pretty indistinct white floral. Verdict: I've tried loads of the BPAL Yule scents with the snow note, and so far, Snow Bunny is the one that likes me the most. This one starts out remarkably similar but ends up in lovely white florals. And yes, it holds the promise of spring as oppose to being a truly wintery scent. Pretty, though

In the imp: Sort of smells like Drakkar Noir On Skin: Very musky, very masculine. Very manly cologne. Smells like Drakkar Noir or like Axe Phoenix. On Drydown: Still very similar to wet. Very masculine. On the boy: On wet, it did sort of smell like DN. When it dried down, it was not like DN at all, but still in that type of cologne. He called it mature and sophisticated. And it appeals to him in the way Old Spice does, but he would never buy Old Spice because his dad uses it. Does that make sense? He enjoys it very much though, and says its a nice change of pace from Wilde. Success!

In the imp: Cologne On Skin: Cologney-like. I get a very sharp ozone note and just the barest edge of white florals around it. On Drydown: More sharp ozone, and a hot metallic tang with swirling white florals. The cologney feel is barely there. Verdict: It's a little on the masculine side and the ozone note is slightly too much for me. At the same time, it's a very powerful scent. It definitely bespeaks 'I take no crap from anyone'. It's very clean and very white, and I have to agree with the impression that it is both hot and cold at the same time. And really, it does smell like flowers on hot metal. It's not too user-friendly for me but it's a brilliantly executed and imagined scent. Cheers to the Lab for this one!

In the imp: strong medicinal sort of scent. And yes, I can see how this can be the base of High John the Conqueror.... minus the lovely grape! On Skin: very strong medicinal, woody sort of scent. I smell a faint tinge of almond around the edges. I don't like it... Drydown: This scent calms down after a while. After a while, I can smell something sort of ambery and woody and almondy. After like two hours, I definitely get amber and almondy. Very warm. Verdict: I don't know if this works, since I've been applying to jobs today. On drydown, it smells nothing like High John the Conqueror which I'm wearing on my other wrist. It's more resinous and woody. I like it on the drydown. Really. I have to say that a combination of both of these scents and a smidge of Anthelion has done wonders for my disposition today. I have felt energized and motivated and in general, in cheery and good spirits. Perhaps it also has to do with Spring... but whatever it is: I'm happy!

In the imp: slightly herby (perhaps that's the calla lily smell?) and something I called ambergris in my head... only to find out that it's probably the grey amber I'm smelling. The initial impression is gray... and very airy. On skin: it's soapy for a bit and the amber smell is pretty strong. On drydown: turns into a soft florals, delicate, white and clean. And yes, the impression of a garden in cool nighttime air comes to mind. There is something innocent and yet highly sophisticated about this. Verdict: The drydown sort of reminds me to Nivea Cream that comes in the blue tin that my mom used to smear on our faces to prevent sunburns during our times in the beach. It's a crisp, refreshing and lightly floral smell. And yes, airy. Still, the 'gray' color vibe that this throws off is impossible to ignore. It's a complex light floral and I like it. I'm trying to figure out just how much and I might have to try it again just to make up my mind.

I was very intrigued to try out this scent... since I haven't really tried anything with a leather note. In the imp: caramel and coconut smelling. There is also a strong woody undertone, so it isn't completely sweet. On skin: caramel and coconut smoke swirl together. Again, there is a woody tone to it. On drydown: I get a rich leather scent with a hint of sweetness and the wood tone comes out to the forefront. Very potent. Good throw and staying power. Verdict: The sweetness fades quickly and instead I get a woodsy leather like scent, very rich and heavy. Perversion's leather and wood notes seem to love my skin, but I'm not too keen on them truthfully. On the other hand, this was a very sophisticated and dominant blend and I think on the right person, and in the right mindset, this would be a powerhouse of a smell, sexy and dominant. I don't think I'm a leather note girl but I'm really glad I got to try this!

This definitely has honey in it. At the beginning it was very floral and aromatic. After about 30 minutes, the honey note seeps out alot more. There is a very sweet scent between the honey and the sugar cane. Verdict: Not crazy about this scent. It's a very sweet floral on my skin. And by floral I mean BIG. I wonder if its the osmanthus or hibiscus.

In the imp: Peach and lavender On Skin: Peach! Very soft and sweet peach. I get a tinge of rose, but overall it's a bright floral peach. On Drydown: About an hour later the peach smell has faded and instead I get the sandalwood note most prominently. Again, I have a tinge of rose. Verdict: Loved the peach, but I'm less crazy about the drydown. I love how it begins like a sweet scent and ends in an almost solemn spicy scent. This is how I imagine sipping on the Cup of Death would be.

I'm currently wearing PB as I'm filing out applications for jobs and sending out resumes. Before I started, I meditated thinking, 'I want to be employed. I want to find a job.' So far, so good. I'm feeling pretty good about today's batch and hopefully, someone will contact me for an interview. Scent-wise, I dabbed some on my neck. It smells like cherry chapstick. Not unpleasant, musky and warm. I'll update this review once I see any noticeable results.

This doesn't change much, if at all, for me to notice from application to drydown. It's sweet, caramel apples. Very much like the Hesperides. Only slightly less heavy, a little more citrusy. Verdict: Bright, fresh, crispy juicy succulent apples. But again, just like the Hesperides in my skin. Mmmm. Tasty.

It smells like musky lavender with clove in it. I dabbed some on two chakra points and just thought about myself and what I wanted. It basically boiled down to me thinking about 'being happy'. This is a very comforting and uplifting scent. And I agree with Oly's review... you don't get a voice from the heaven thundering down on you but you do get a reassuring nuzzle on the head, which is comforting and revitalizing. I've been doing a job search for the past few weeks and anyone knows how much that can suck. This is making today's search so much more bearable. I'll edit this to see how it works the rest of the day but I can tell you already, I feel better and I usually get some sort of mild doldrums because of winter. ETA: 2013 So it's been six year since I've gotten some Anthelion, and I have a partial. I only bust this out when I need a day when I really need the world to be OK, either because it's been rough professionally and personally. And it invariably helps. I don't think it just immediately reverses your fortunes, but often times acts as that respite you really need to keep going.

In the imp: Citrus and florals On Skin: Bright warm citrus. It's so delicious right now! On Drydown: The citrus goes away and instead all I get is some 'generic' perfume smell. The cherry blossom is strong but I've never had it be 'this' strong. I was hoping for more cinnamon. Verdict: I'm going to try this again in a few more days. I really do want to like Bakeneko. I do. I had high hopes for the cinnamon and satsuma tangerine. If the drydown were a spicy mix, I would love it too. But this 'floral' nonsense? GAH.

In the imp: sugary blossoms On Skin: Burnt sugar, sort of like in a creme brulee. It's so strong I also smell something like the whiff of a coffee roast. On Drydown: It mellows to a sharp floral. However the 'burnt' smell lingers for a while. The floral isn't too perfumey... it's just sharp. Verdict: Zarita smells like she should be cuddly but she pokes you with a sharp knife. I can see her being pleasant to someone else but to me, her threat lingers and part of me is wary of her. Unfortunately, off to the swap pile for her.

Unlike theseagrows, I decided to take a chance on it because of the cucumber/pear combination. Unfortunately for me, it's a very musky sort of floral. And yes, dark and brooding do come to mind. Florals underneath the presence of a new moon sort of feeling. On the drydown, it's more musky and less floral. Part of me wants to associate it with sandalwood and patchouli, since it gives me the same sort of vibe. Verdict: Darkly beautiful. Yet more musky than floral. I'm not the type that wholly appreciates this dark lovely so off to swap it goes.

I got a sniffie of this. Thanks Arylkin! In the bottle: Coconut?!?! On skin: Coconut and florals. I'm pretty sure that coconut is not one of the components. It might be the mixture of the tonka bean and vanilla. It's very lush and tropical On Drydown: Still tropical flowery. The smell of the coconut has disappeared and I can distinctively smell the vanilla now... and something else, warm and musky. I can smell the orchid after about an hour, still pretty in the tropical flower way. Verdict: Jungle love. This is very bright and sensual. Very exotic. Very pretty.

In the imp: citrusy On skin: Fruity-citrus. There is something musky underlying it, and I can't pinpoint what the fruit is. It kinda brings to mind the 'scented' fruit ink that some pens for children have. On drydown: Definitely musky. Dark. No aquatics... simply musky. Verdict: No water... instead I seem to be straight into sniffing Cthulu, a musky sort of smell. Odd to say the least. I was hoping for some 'deep' water... but apparently, it was not meant to be.

In the imp: Aquatic On Skin: Immediately, it's a fruity aquatic. Smells a bit like melon. It's quite tasty. After a while, it starts to morph and gets a tad bit more salty. On Drydown: Soapy undertones. Smells fresh, clean and aquatic still. Verdict: Definitely an aquatic. I'm sad about the soapy undertones though. Olokun is lord of the sea on a bright, sunny summer day in Brazil. Lots of white sand, hot sun and ripe fruits. Bright and cheery.

In the imp: Grape juicy! On skin: Wet, the most distinctive note is grape juice. It is bubbly and effervescent and immediately it's a mood enhancer. Hard to be somber when you're wearing something to cheerful! After it dries a bit, I get more of the floral undertone. On Drydown: Definitely floral. The grape is gone. There is still a certain amount of fruitiness but I think I smell jasmine. It's a very light, playful sort of floral. Verdict: Most of the Voodoo Blends haven't worked for me... but I think does! It makes me happy. And everyone knows that happiness allows you to work through a number of problems. I was wearing it when I've emailed a number of resumes, so hopefully, it will also help in that aspect. And yes, at the beginning I did get a purple sort of vibe from it... and then it streaked straight into white. ETA: weekend of 5/20/2007 So my husband and I drive up to State College, PA to visit his bestfriend who is living out there and I put on HJC earlier that day. On the drive up, mapquest directions took us OFF the highway and the interstate and into basically back country roads... several of which passed through state parks... at about 10 PM. And let me tell you, I'm usually easily creeped out. Heck, even my husband, who grew up in rural MD and is used to no lamp posts at every 10 feet was feeling mildly creeped out. Me? I was chill as a cucumber. The trees, the darkness, the unknown roads didn't creep me out. I was serene as a clam. That really proved to me that HJC works (even if it was a placebo effect, meaning it worked because I thought it would... but that's okay because fear is a psychological thing anyway).

In the imp: musky On skin: Again, musky (the black musk is very prominent) and very savory. I do see how people would compare it to an Indian restaurant/curry. It's very fragrant (because of the ajowan). On drydown: It's a little subtler and sweeter. The black musk mellows down, the ajowan is slightly less pungent and there is a sweetness that possibly comes from either the tamarind. There is a floral lilt to this... which could be a combination of the opoponax and the mimosa... or maybe I'm just guessing. Verdict: I would definitely categorize this as a 'dark scent', and very turbulent at that. It's also 'masculine' in my mind because of the prevalent black musk. It's very fragrant and savory. Definitely interesting. Part of me likes it... because I like Indian food. Part of me thinks that this is not a scent to be messed with.