hmelt004

Woah, booze!! This is what I expected Grog to smell like. Booze and toasted sugar all the way with this one. As it dries the almond comes out, reminding me of royal icing. My teeth hurt. This one alone is too sweet for me, but I'm going to try layering it with a leather single note I have.

The Boy and I are rabbit people, so I was really looking forward to this one, hoping that the cocoa note would be similar to the one in Gelt. It is not. This one smells like sticking your nose into a package of dutch-processed cocoa, no sugar added. Very bittersweet. I'm also getting a coffee vibe from this, as though the cocoa is sitting next to an open barrel of just roasted coffee beans. I don't get wine from this, but there is an astringency to this that is very wine-like.

Scary green vetiver!! This oil is definitely powerful and could make me fell strong if I enjoyed the scent. I'm reminded of Troll, with a bit less pine.

Sweet, sweet, sweet! This is all butterscotch ice-cream syrup to me, with maybe a hint of lemon.

I was hoping that the spices would dominate in this so I could wear it, but I can barely smell them under the ash and vetiver. I cannot detect the tonka or patchouli at all. I'm going to try this on The Boy. I think he could pull it off.

My skin amps cedar, so I'm getting burnt cedar logs from this, and maybe a bit of vetiver. Some pine as well, I think. This is similar to Brimstone, but a bit greener.

In the province where I live, they mine and burn a lot of coal, so I'm familiar with the smell. This oil is right on, of course, and I'll keep it to remember Shandong, but not to wear. A dusty, gray and green scent, a bit acrid, tired and burnt up. This could work on the right sort of guy, I think.

True to description, this smells like a bunch of burnt up organic things. I'm getting a strange sort of fishy vibe from my imp, too. Very odd, and not very nice. Could there be civet in this?

This reminds me of the remains of an evergreen log fire, pine and fir and spruce. Some of the needles aren't quite burnt up and give the smoke a clean, green quality

I am cherry tobacco's no. 1 fan, and in this oil it blends beautifully with the pumpkin and vanilla and honey to make a smooth sweetness that's not too fruity, just warm and wonderful. The sage adds a faint, bracing herbal note with the woods that keeping this from being cloying. I am in raptures over this one. Perfect for late summer and fall.

Port Royal was one of the first BPALs I tried, and it's still one of my favorites. If you want to enable a Pirates of the Caribbean fan, buy them Port Royal and Black Pearl. Complex and unisex, Port Royal lasts and doesn't morph on my skin. The main notes I get are salt and wood. The rum contributes a hint of spice but no sweetness. There's a little warm floral musk hiding in the background, too. This definitely evokes a ship at port.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on two versions of Samhaim: 2005 and 2009. This oil, dear readers, ages beautifully. 2009: Starts out sweet, all apple and pumpkin with a bit of spice. Dry, however, it's all spice and woods. The fir gives it a little bite. Stays like this for hours. 2005: This one begins with spice, mostly clove, but turns sweet and mellow on the drydown. The patchouli and pumpkin really come out, and I don't get any apple. Verdict: I like them both for different reasons!

I slather BPAL on my wrists and the backs of my hands, and the skin there has become a bit darker. It's only really noticeable since I'm deathly pale from winter, though. I'm hoping it'll blend into the tan I'm hoping to acquire soon.I slather BPAL on my wrists and the backs of my hands, and the skin there has definitely become darker. It's only really noticeable since I'm deathly pale from winter, though. I hope it'll blend into the tan I'm hoping to acquire soon.

This is all cedar on my skin: dry, dusty cedar. I like cedar, but I prefer the fresh-cut scent. I had such high hopes for this to be like VM's Cathedral, which is my favorite cold-weather scent. I don't get any incense or resins from this one.

This is a really perfect dirt scent, like a plowed garden after rain. The roses are dry and papery and don't give my sinuses grief. I don't keep many rose blends, but this is definitely one!

I ordered this mostly for the name, being a fan of the poem and of Watchmen. This smells faintly like Bounce dryer sheets. The drydown is sort of musky dust. Not for me.

Vanilla orchid, Monoi tiare, gardenia, and light incense. I bought a partial of this unsniffed because the price was right. I was hoping for a nice light floral for summer, something like Regan. Regan, however, has no gardenia. Marae does. Do not try Marae if you do not like gardenia. The incense gives it a bit of a sour edge that I don't like for a reason I can't quite put my finger on. I'm going to hold on to the bottle until the weather gets warmer, retest, and then swap if nothing has changed.

A very simple and lovely scent. The apricot is very similar to the one in Grand Guignol: very, very sweet. No floral apricot here. I know clove is the note of death for many people, myself included, but this clove really is very sweet and light. It gives the apricot a bit more staying power, too.

I ordered this because of the name and because apricot is one of the few fruit scents that work on me. This is a very sweet apricot, like the canned fruit in thick syrup. It fades very quickly on my skin and no amount of huffing can help me detect a "booze" note. I have smelled brandy and I don't get any from this. I'm going to keep the imp to layer with more earthy scents.

Mmm. I am a sucker for fruit+dirt/wood/patch combinations. This is a lot liked Depraved, one of my all time favorites, but with cherry instead of apricot. The wood here does smell a lot like patchouli to me. It keeps the cherry from being too sickly sweet and girly.

Pleasant and strange. Sweet, light mint with a bit of breezy apple and watery notes. Could work on someone who's looking for a light, clean scent but doesn't like florals or linen-type scents. I've been wearing it a lot this spring and I'm debating buying a bottle. The throw is minimal, but pleasant.

This evokes burnished, bright copper and bronze, but it does not smell metallic. Really. I was worried about the amber and cedar, both notes of death to me, but they stay mellow and grounded. Aelopile also smells...heated, sort of alive and glowing. I am buying a bottle of this tomorrow. If you have a guy who is into steampunk, you must buy him some of this one immediately.

I recommend this for people who are interested in the Lovecraft blends but maybe afraid of ordering one for fear it will smell like seaweed or fish. Night-Gaunt starts out as all grapefruit and kumquat, bright but not in your face. The citrus drifts away quickly, leaving musky white flowers that last. This could be considered Whitechapel's country cousin.

21 is my favorite of the "booze" scents, and it doesn't make me smell like I've been drinking. This is light and fresh and effervescent. The lemon and juniper work together really well. It's too cold to wear this now, but it'll be great for the dog days of summer.

Sweet and strange! And it gets me attention from boys! Equal parts herbal and sugary, this is quite an odd blend, but I like it. In the bottle it is almost too herbal, but the sweetness comes out when I put it on. I was hoping for more pepper and tobacco, but maybe they'll come out as it ages a bit more.