impolight

:::TAVERN of HELL::: Here is a firebreathing wag of a perfumed oil! Tavern of Hell does not disappoint in it's depiction of high-spirited iniquity and discombobulated subterfuge where even the tallow candles seem to mock rosy-cheeked naivete radiating from your best go in a Marilyn Manson T-shirt and patent-leather boots. No imagination is necessary to discern the booziness and the colorful indignities of Tavern of Hell... Here lies the fragrance of rough-hewn wooden tables that have absorbed every manner of fermented concoction along with the soury sweat that accompanies lickety-lipped pelvic thrusts of social graces. In every corner is the promise of corruption or bodily harm... In this establishment, teeth are optional... There is also a hint of assertive perfume, but you refuse to make eye-contact with the girl sitting across from you who thinks that crotchless panties look... Sultry. Tavern of Hell is to be worn with flourish and gusto. Unapologetically. This would be THE talk of the Towne at a Pirate Faire of sorts. Tavern of Hell has a nice, humid floral element to it... Like a Magnolia in the verge of liquefying. There is also a hint of new leather to this fragrance, giving the whole thing... Swagger. On the skin, Tavern of Hell sweetens/dirties up quite nicely. The hips unhinge and there is this quixotic vision of Jack Sparrow in greased boots on the set of Saturday Night Fever trying to water the flower on his... lapel... with Rum. There is a wee swirl of incense in here somewhere, giving this just the right measure of gleeful condemnation. The Tavern of Hell is a fun shade of amber and bronze, off-white, and terra-cotta. This scent would rock for any HellCat or Sick Boy... Tavern of Hell gets a 5/5 for it beautiful and fearless originality. Drink up!

:::SATYR::: Admittedly, there was much fuss and fanfare that revolved around the arrival of the BPAL order that contained a 5 ml. bottle of Satyr. Mischieviously, the Lab declined to include specifications as to what was added to this formula to make it the epitome of crazed, gyrating, animalistic masculine sexuality... The ideal counterpart to nymphomania! The first whiff of an opened bottle of Satyr belied a dark, instinctual, insatiable hunger that blotted out and nullified the need for trivial things like food, water, sleep, and oxygen. Dang! Patchouli, Vetivert, Civet, Lavender, Amber, Black Walnut, Black Musk,Leather and Orange Peel (best guess). On the skin, there is a brief, feral outburst of Vanilla and Cedar! Stupendous! Satyr makes emptying a wineskin down your gullet, crashing naked through the underbrush to scare the bejeezus out of an entire cheerleader camp, and finally performing a vigorous air guitar solo with your naughty bits seem like a reasonable way to pass the afternoon... "Do these twigs make my butt look fat?" Satyr is an insane, wildman of a fragrance. This is the deviant, bastard, evil twin of Snake Oil. Satyr has no remorse, sharp teeth and sharper wit. Satyr took one look at the Prom King and dry humped his leg before sending him home with a Super-Wedgie. Satyr, to be fair, is also the ripped, crazy-eyed poet with otherworldly ways, an acoustic guitar, and an eerie ability to communicate with animals.Careful boys, this stuff's liquid dynamite! Worn in mixed company you might just... Walk funny. Satyr is outrageous! Satyr is a shady, slicked-back black & blue. Satyr is Tom Waits and the Rolling Stones. Satyr is a distracting bulge. 5/5!

:::GLASCOW::: Bold, brash, beautiful! Not a shy Violet nor a Pansy in the lot! Glascow makes no apologies for being a fragrance that is a great deal lovely, and yet will kick the ever-lovin' shite outta ye! There is lush, wild verdance to Glascow. Also, there is a dangerously composed menace glittering just at the precipice behind a crinkly-eyed smiling...The Blackberry is heady and gorgeous. It adds a lustre and depth to the sweet and fresh-out-of-the-shower greenery that is truly one of a kind! There is a thinly veiled sweetness of whiskey (?) that pops in this from time to time along with a proud bit of Heather and a swagger of soap. Glascow is so bloody good! It is an unconquerable pride and history intermingled with a savage giggle that plucks the needle from it's elbow and bits of windscreen from between it's teeth. Glascow is a raven-haired beauty with eyes the deep green of someday. While cutting edge, this is also the dream of walking away from it all, chronicling wildflowers in an isolated cabin. Glascow is remarkable! 5/5!

:::THE HAMPTONS::: Uh-oh... Here come the mean girls. How refreshingly droll... The Hamptons rocks... Er, Vamps? From the very first sniff, this formula quakes with the haughty, botox-browed jeer that is befitting the creme de la creme of the Atlantic Coast's Snobbapalooza. Power of suggestion be damned, not only does The Hamptons smell like THE Cosmopolitan Cocktail, carefully balanced on the goosepimpled backside of a submissive wearing a kitten mask and a whip between her teeth, but the fragrance that is The Hamptons also implies the salty sparkle of a day at The (privelidged) beach; wearing summer whites and marveling at how great it feels to be a right bastard. On the wrist, the Cranberry sits bolt upright and stretches, smiles solicitously, and gives itsself a scratch... Why hello there! Got naked? The Hamptons is infernally vogue. A contemptuous tiara. While this might be unisex in an open-minded sort of way, this is certainly more befitting the dreaded debutante. Posh!

:::MOSCOW::: The delight that is Moscow is immensely different than what was anticipated. Moscow or, in fact, any other part of, "Mother Russia" evokes associations with Iron-fisted, stout-hearted, disciplined might; surviving terrible Tsars, harsh winters, Siberian prisons, etc. BPAL's rendition of Moscow proves, in every way superior! From the Imp to the skin, Moscow is dizzying opulence, might, and every bit the Fairy-Tale empire that set hearts to quailing in Europe and the Orient.Moscow's fragrance is the cosmic green of the Aurora Borealis. Moscow is the beguilement of Scandanavian, blue-green eyes, a glacial smile, and the heady intoxication of interstellar-black hair festooned with Roses and Carnations. Moscow is the heat of skin on skin that drowns out the bothersome fire crackling on the grate. Moscow is the heat of a shared breath that causes the bearskin rug to fade away. Moscow is a soapy, ballerina Goddess who would inspire most men to think, "wanna wrassle?".

:::TWENTY ONE::: Hooey! What a number! A lucky number! The number for traditionally coming of age and the rite of passage for jumping in with both feet, swallowing starlight and punishing the old innards like it's going out of style. Twenty One certainly struck a chord of brilliantly effervescent optimism and a swooning lust for life. Without the Lab's notes, it's difficult to explain exactly what this smells like. Initially, there is a bright, almost citrusy note to this... Bergamot or, maybe some Grapefruit or Lime. Strange as it might sound, this is suggestive of a young, bright green patchouli...Though it might be due to the power of suggestion, there does also seem to be a boozy something to this; the wooden, caramelly kind associated with a really good cognac or brandy. On the skin, this ERUPTS with one of the freshest woody notes encountered thus far; almost like a clean, rained on rum barrel. Twenty One is a great fragrance for him or her. Wickedly brazen, and shower fresh! 5/5!

So many familiar and suggestive elements to this fragrance.... Ideal and clean; one might even venture 'enlightened' as an adjective... Or, was that delicious? Synonymous? Santa Eularia Des Rui incorporates all of the best traits a person could hope to exude upon making a first impression; fearlessness, lack of guile, fresh and potent energies, and something akin to an old and omniscient force of nature. Santa Eularia Des Rui has the ability to captivate everyone in the room... This is an unusual mix of ruthlessness and innocence. This formula seems to incorporate Lilac, Lime, Lemongrass, Cucumber, Mint, Sandalwood, Lavender and a wisp of smoke... A cry to Heaven. A verdant sanctuary. A hymn to washing away ones cares. Santa Eularia Des Rui is a fresh, pulsating green, thunderhead grey and lustrous pearl. Spectacularly unisex. Carpe Olifactorum!

Muscadine, black and red patchouli, cereus and nag champa. :::URD::: Utterly fanflippintastic! Being totally and completely unfamiliar with the mythos of the Norns, there is little to say regarding the application of this fragrance in that respect. There is much uncertainty, even, as where to associate, geographically, the components that inspired this Formula as a representation of the intended forces. Smitten is really the only way to describe the feeling experienced after the first, heady draught of Night-Blooming Cactus, though. Immediately, there was this teleportation of sorts back to this New Age/ Wicca shoppe that was in the Downtown Palm Springs area back in the late 1980's early 1990's. The combination of the Vespertine Flora there mixed with the incense of the shoppe itsself and the winey notes from the candle lit tables of the elite dining along the sidewalks swam together and made the first impression of what would be later recalled by the smell of Urd. Urd is gorgeous! Immediately entranced and in love. The Muscadine is red, vibrant and lush...The Nag Champa is reverent... The Patchouli is not at all overpowering and is, instead, rather complimentary and seductive... The cereus is completely and utterly out of this world... It would have been nigh impossible to imagine beforehand that anyone would have the consideration to duplicate such a marvelous fragrance. Urd is amazing. Definitely, gorgeously unisex. Evoke confidence and destiny with this. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, BPAL!

:::VILLAIN::: Villain is the sparkling pulverization of any and all misconstrued notions about the world of flowers. the Lilac in this fragrance is, par excellence, the best of it’s kind! There is really nothing else like it in the aromatherapeutic realm. Villain hails back to a time of top hats, steaming towels, straight razors, pomades, pocket watches,monacles and walking sticks. Villain is the snickering fiend with the waxed moustachios, wringing his hands and watching as the steamtrain thunders ever nearer to the screaming damsel in distress trussed to the rails. Villain was certainly inspired by the assertion of Old World charm and elegance brought into vogue by the likes of Edouard Pinaud. Villain cuts a dashing figure as he effortlessly seduces all who cross his path and reveals his domination by charisma, intrigue, beguilement and wit rather than brute, tactical force or chivalry. Villain is Heather Grey with pinstripes, ivory, bootblack, lavender, pewter, and lime green. Villain is not to be underestimated or trifled with. If uncomfortably stretched and manipulated, Villain could be unisex in an abstract, tongur-in-cheek Sort of way, yet was specificallt designed, without question, for Gents. Prepare ye for a bevy of admirers, Villain is stupendous!

:::BON VIVANT::: The good life indeedy! Flabbergasted is probably the best way to describe the feeling experienced after reading the Lab's notes on this formula. Strawberries and Champagne? Really? Really and truly? Skepticism here is used only with the utmost degree of respect and admiration...The Strawberries and Champagne sampled in some parts of the world (sleepy little college towns in Southern California, say) smells absolutely NOTHING like the stuff emnating from a freshly uncapped Imp of Bon Vivant. Had Strawberries and Champagne had the aromatic character of Bon Vivant, the taste would, in all likelihood, have induced a state of comatose bliss from which this reviewer would still not have emerged from. Bon Vivant is an excelsior, Thunderously good fragrance. The scent is somehow insatiably floral... There would have been a wager placed on this containing Narcissus or Jonquil... A bright, screamingly yellow fiels of fragrance. Bon Vivant is for Her. Sensually Divine!

:::THE SEA FOAMS BLOOD::: There is veritably no end to the wonders that BPAL regularly unleashes to disrupt the last vestiges of reasoning that serve as so flimsy a tether to the civilized world...The Sea Foams Blood efficiently and yet again undoes said tether with the finality and decisiveness of a SNIP. The curiosity that drives the train of thought to ponder the possibilities of just how an OIL that smells so INCREDIBLY like water is accomplished is fated to unceremoniously derail and carom headlong into the stony cliffs of migraine... Surrender is a beautiful thing and pairs quite nicely with ignorance of chemistry. The Sea Foams Blood is utterly spectacular... A buoyant and surreal marine fragrance dominates the theme and is made all the more beautiful by the coppery splendor of hot blood & translucent, ephemeral florals. Applying The Sea Foams Blood to the skin revealed a magnificent vegetal fragrance. It was difficult to place at first, but eventually exuded a boquet that was remniscent of a cross between a freshly opened pumpkin and a peeled, sliced cucumber. The Sea Foams Blood gets better and better the longer it wears. The Sea Foams Blood is, if anything, ALIVE. This is one of the most alive fragrances encountered so far; between the blood, the botanicals, and the brine, The Sea Foams Blood absolutely thrums with breath and spirit. The universal theme of this formula maintains consistency by being profoundly unisex. Equally potent for Him or Her. LOVING this frangrance. 5 out of 5!

:::THE DEEP ONES::: Initially, this is SUCH a profoundly Lovecraftian fragrance! The Deep Ones sets the ideal tone for mad, drippy things that slithered through an opened window and made a dank puddle on the floorboards while you were poring breathlessly over some tome chock full of macabre pulp... And only when the gramaphone wound down did you swim up and out of your reverie to focus slowly ( and oh, so grudgingly) on the leering monstrosity before you; filling up the room with the miasma of lightless squelch. You next dislocate your voicebox and saturate your undergarments in a fit of unmitigated despair... And then, The Deep Ones lands on the skin... Eh? What the eff happened? Apparently, blind terror has never more rapidly subsided, and arboreal heroics ensue as you fetch a stout evergreen bough and sorely smote the last traces of Algea from the beastie's hide before basting it in a coniferous sap and putting it out of it's misery with a handy-dandy pillowcase full of pinecones. The Deep Ones is an extraordinary formula in the sense that it metamorphosizes from a force of sheer terror, to a comedic irony, to a dignified reserve gazing out and over the steely grey waters of a forested, New England Seaside. The Deep Ones is a classic, distinguished fragrance. This could confidently stride through the halls of a college campus, donning a smart suit and a rakishly tilted fedora. The Deep Ones is Gray, Black, Silver, and Evergreen. An ideal introductory fragrance for Him!

:::ENYALIOS::: Enyalios is a magnificent and dangerous fragrance. This is a leonine grin, the wolf in man's clothing. This is eye-contact, a respectable handshake, and the thrill of impending bloodshed. Enyalios's first impression was clear, sharp, and astringent; the Thyme harmonizing impeccably with the Moss and Patchouli to illuminate a brisk, almost citrusy edge.The Cocoa in Enyalios is primordially, geologically dark and foreboding when added to the other elements of this fragrance; lending an almost bloody thematic that excites as much as it unnerves... Ingenuity! Enyalios is a cross between a posh fight club and an elite secret society... A deep, dark thrill. Once it settles on the skin, Enyalios reanimates, becoming more vibrant and humid as it warms to the blood beneath the surface; greening up from the Balsam, and growing a decorative patina of barely disciplined pathology that borders on the berzerk. Without question, this scent is all about Him. Make way!

Sassafras, vanilla extract, oak leaf, CO2 butter extract, and onycha. :::STIMULATING SASSAFRAS STRENGTHENER::: This time, the Lab's warning for "External use ONLY" came in handy! After applying SSS to the pulse area just on the underside of the forearm, it became Extremely difficult not to swallow it whole! This formula is given to all sorts of self-abusive behaviors! SSS is the makings of the BEST Root Beer Float on the planet! EVER! PERIOD! The Sassafrass has that good, rooty Wintergreeny/Licorice aroma and there is the creamiest cloud of Vanilla froth that encapsulates every mote, starting the inward journey back to when Ghostbusters was NEWLY released on VHS and the entire family gathered around the boob-tube to glut themselves on the supreme post-pizza dessert and hoot at the shenannigans of Bill Murray and company's slapstick incompetence in battling Zool and ectoplasmic ilk... SSS is supernaturally delicious! Groovy for Him OR Her... Is there such a thing as too much BPAL?

:::The High Priest Not To Be Described::: The High Priest Not To Be Described is, in fact, almost indescribably beautiful. There is an extremely unsettling quality to this fragrance that renders the wearer expertly capable of interpreting the Lovecraftian sense of horror that inspired The Lab's line of these fragrances... Upon first encountering The High Priest Not To Be Described, a bizarre vision came to mind; There is a white-haired, Parchment skinned, old woman with infinitely Scandanavian-Blue eyes in a dark-wood paneled attic. There is this sense that she has been imprisoned there. She is ANGRY and vibrating with scarcely containable wrath and rocking back and forth. Fat, crystalline drops virtually spring from her tear-ducts as she glares out the window at a barren, snow-covered field with twisted black trees... Her jaw is clenched so tightly, her teeth can be heard splintering, making her gums bleed... It's difficult to discern whether she's laughing or sobbing... That being said, The High Priest NotTo Be Described is a diabolically beautiful fragrance! This is the red velveteen pungency of spiced incense, the new-penny tang of bloodletting, the screeching bite of Pimento, and well-loved leather. The Chamomile in this formula is one of the most amazing varieties of the fragrance so far encountered in this lifetime. This is a profoundly brilliant fragrance... Were 10 ml.'s still available, there would be two of them, at least, in the very next order. This stuff's insane! A must try! To miss this one would be one of the biggest regrets associated with the entire BPAL experience.

:::BLACK DAHLIA::: Black Dahlia is maliciously sweet. This is the glistening, rouged smile that holds a fearsome bludgeon behind her back...Black Dahlia is the rustle of a cotton skirt and the snick of a stiletto blade. The fragrance here is an unrepentant scarlet of florals mixed with sweet, subtle wood and a light misting of amber. The fragrance is utterly gorgeous and meant to compliment and reveal the vast power and fearsomeness of a woman who knows what she wants. Black Dahlia is the ultimate femme fatale. This should be an ice cream that's illegal in 27 countries! Fear this!

:::ROSALIND::: A shimmering white scent. A cascade of buoyant floral notes; heady and intoxicating and at their ethereal best here. As this graces the skin, it waxes sweeter; gaining a quality that suggests either Mead or Honey. Rosalind also takes on citrusy note... Mandarin? After a while, Rosalind softens ever further, maintaining the entirety of her character, if somewhat more ethereal... There seems to be a hint of quality soap in this fragrance as well. Rosalind is an ideal perfume for Her. This would be a custom-designed way to make an entrance at the opera or the theater. Rosalind summons images of an accompanying ivory satin evening dress with lustrous coiffed hair, platinum, and glittering stones. Bravo!

:::TCOTCHKIE::: Tcotchkie arrived in a wee red stocking as a Frim from this past Yuletide's Naughty or Nice Inquisition. When it was first uncapped the first reaction was that of complete surprise due to it's being unlike any other formula tried to date. Tcotchkie is 100% unique...Tcotchkie could, in all likelihood, be described as a foodie smell. The dominant notes are akin to warm Pecans and salty Butter. Tcotchkie leaves this association with one of those bags of quality nuts that people purchase at specialty botiques and give as a gift for Holiday occasions... Way, way deep in the background of this, there is a hint of a vanilla/anise hybrid; just enough to tease the nose into compulsive elipses of thought. On the skin, a woody note arises; suggestive of a pine-table that the aforementioned nuts are served on neighboring some sugar cookies. Tcotchkie could be described as, "Comfort smell"... Something to wear while lounging before a fire on a stormy day. An original room scent. Magnificence!

:::BAUBLE::: What an intrigue of a scent, Bauble is! Bauble also arrived as a Frimp from this past Yultide's Naughty & Nice Inquisition. At first, Bauble brought to mind almost a yeasty, fermented spirit with berries of some sort and Lemon Rind added to deevelop the character. THere is a floral component to Bauble as well, something along the lines of Gardenia; very powerful, clear, and white. On the skin, Bauble amps the floal note in a big way... There is something about this that brings to mind the sort of fragrance that couuld be expected to be produced with a flourish from behind the counter at a department store, geared towards a young girl (anyone remember, "exclamation!"?). This is a fresh, young, pink scent. Bauble is bold and sweet. This would be a good, memorable fragrance for the Holiday occasion.

:::51::: It is very not at all difficult to drift away on 51. 51 is an atmospheric, cerulean cloudburst of an aroma that quickly mesmerizes and quickly induces a fleeting sort of synthenesia. 51 is a bright-grey, springtime sky that is like a church choir reverbating off of a marble ampitheater. 51 is a strenuously blooming paradise that is kaleidescopic boquet of fluorescent candyfloss... Whether or not there is actually Narcissus and Water Lilies in this formula remains a mystery without benefit of the Lab's description handy, but this is a fragrance that permeates the entire being, converts it into pure energy and broadcasts it at an intergalactic frequency that makes angels weep. 51 is the laugh after the daffodil's autograph. 51 is the unsung fun of the young, unencumbered and outnumbering a dozen thunders and summer-sun wonders. 51 is an anti-gravity fragrance equally suited for Him or Her... 5 out of 5

:::BELLE EPOQUE::: So, this is a fragrance used for the representation of 'The Beautiful Era' in France... Well put! Belle Epoque is a divine fragrance; the head swims with imagery of burgeoning voluptuousness and a starburst of optimism that can only come from being immersed in what seems to be an eternity of bedazzling beauty in all things, Nature, The Arts, Architecture and Citizenry. Belle Epoque is a hearbreakingly glorious boquet. Without the Lab's notes on hand, it is difficult to associate a specific blossom, so the mind portrays and endless, electric-green field, saturated with flowers of every hue and description on a dazzling summery afternoon where hummingbirds and butterflies congregate to celebrate the bursting bounty. Belle Epoque is drastically femenine. This is a fragrance GUARANTEED to turn EVERY head in the room, inspiring heartbreak, lust, or jealousy. This is the fragrance suitable for wooing an entire generation. In every way superb. Smitten.

:::VEIL::: A Veil can be used to obscure and hide away features or, one supposes, to imply a barrier of modesty or virtuousness. Veil, by any standard is a beautiful scent. Veil seems to be set from more of a perspective of lending an air of mystique and intrigue than that of oppressive secrecy or concealment. The Violets in this fragrance are head-over-heels, incomparably lovely. There is something crisp and green underlying the sweetness of this fragrance that brings to mind cool and crunchy cucumber. Veil would make it's wearer peacock-proud. Though this could be worn by either gender, Veil is probably better suited for She of the Drowning-pool eyes. Top-notch!

:::DEEP IN EARTH::: How does something so remniscent of upturned earth smell so bloody CLEAN? Deep in Earth is a wonderful, wonderful scent. This formula is very remniscent of, 'Zombi', but with absolutely none of the Rose note. Deep in Earth has all the fascination and intrigue of a long buried secret brought to light that has the effect of putting nearly everyone off of their guard by pulverizing any preconceived notions formerly held by conventional wisdoms. Deep in Earth also brings to mind a time when mythos was a much more palpable element of day to day life... It is virtually effortless to get a nose full of this and know, without question, that it was scooped from a minotaurean labyrinth of some kind. Deep in Earth is a fragrance of rich Browns, Greens, and Blacks. It is a clean, sharp fragrance that would harmonize well with candlelight, a bottle of red wine, and the album, 'Disintegration' by The Cure. This is a very Now, very Wow fragrance. Genius!!!

:::JEZIRAT al TENNYN::: Wow! What a collision, a combustion of fragrances! The first reaction to uncapping the Imp of this formula and leaning over it to take a sniff was to rear back violently and put up both fists! Assertive! Jezirat al Tennyn is a unique story about the birth of the universe told in a spice-drying hut somewhere in the worlds wildest, scariest desert isle... Jezirat al Tennyn is a blazing bonfire with Mesquite, Cedar, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Chilies,Pumice, and diabolical, bowel-loosening laughter roaring out of it. Beautiful, glorious, and well aquainted with heebie-jeebies. There might be something floral in this, but if so, it is avoiding eye-contact and minding it's own business... On the skin, Jezirat al Tennyn waxes evermore apocalyptic; the smokiness exponentially darkens and the Cardamom dons a veil of Camphor. This was NOT the seductive little dance previously imagined, this is more the fiery-eyed exocutioner. Clever! Love this!

:::SIN::: Sin is an aptly suited fragrance for it's namesake. Without the site's description on hand, a guess is the best that can be done for the time being with this one...Amber is the most apparent note, and this is a REALLY GOOD AMBER! This amber is slinky, soft and sexy... New Amber. What else in this fragrance seems to be either Rose, Sandalwood, or Vanilla... A nibble of spice, too. Sin is such a smooth, seamless blend that it is really difficult to say precisely where the ruddy sweetness of the formula comes from. Sin is the epitome of self-serving, self-indulgent excess. Sin is the wanton abandonment of conscience, and of the norms of morality. Sin is the chuckling mirth of schadenfreude, the pink-cheeked climax, the drunken debauch, the paper currency tossed to the floor just before the door clicks shut. Sin is the vibrant pink of glowing health and the purple bruise of excess. Sin could confidently be worn as a unisex fragrance, yet is most likely a safer bet to be coquettishly manipulated by her. Meowch!