Elemcee

Burial is dirt. But clean, fertile dirt that things will grow in. And they have, judging by the sweetness that's here. It's not a moody, depressive scent at all for me, it's actually quite invigorating and refreshing. There's something here that reminds me of the scent of the air after the rain. It's not a 'perfume' scent, of course, and it's probably more masculine than feminine, but I really like it.

Sed Non Satiata is sweet, rich and warm. This makes me feel like voluptuous sex when I look like a skinny teenager with bad skin. I don't think it's a day-to-day scent; I really couldn't concentrate. This scent is all hot, sweaty, passionately writhing limbs by candlelight. It's probably the sexiest BPAL I've tried so far.

Wet, Veil smells like Dirty, except sweeter and more floral. On the drydown, I can definitely smell the flowers in Veil. It's a lovely, slightly powdery floral. It makes me think of a demure young lady in a pale lilac dress. It's not overtly sexy, but it reminds me of that feeling you get when you spy someone you like and you get that bubbly rush, but you do your best not to let it show because it just wouldn't be proper.

Alice is sweet and milky. It reminds me of when I was a little girl, and, after church, was allowed to start drinking tea. It was milky and weak and, of course, I heaped in spoonfuls of sugar (something I hate in my tea, now, strangely enough). That's what this oil reminds me of, except more fantastic, and I mean that in both senses of the word. It's all angelic blonde curls and white lace dresses with a pink silk sash.

House of Night starts of as a sharp, astringent scent, like a cheap soap. Not pleasant at all. However, it eventually mellows into a lovely, creamy floral. It's certainly a dark floral, although it isn't dry or reminiscent of decay. Instead, this is a bunch of lush, freshly cut flowers, being carried by a young widow to lay upon her husbands grave. It's sad, but there's a vibrance, here, and even a youthfulness. It's a wistful hope.

Dance of Death is a very dry scent. I do get the picture of ancient, yellowed bones on a desert floor. There is nothing bright or wet or youthful about this scent. It's a bitter scent, too, and there's a sadness, here. After a while, it develops into something slightly sweeter, and feminine, but still dry as a bone. There is a trace of the Lady Death in the air.

Hellfire smells like leather and smoke on me, first off. This is a man. It's a mysterious man in a leather coat and with a deep, velvety voice made slightly rough by cigarettes. There is something dark about him, but you're drawn to him, anyway. On me, it softens a bit, eventually, and it's nice, but I think it would be fantastic on a man.

This is Dandelion and Burdock. Warm Dandelion and Burdock. Or some sort of drink like that, anyway. Except without the sickly sweet sugaryness. Smelling this oil doesn't make my teeth ache. It's quite nice, though. A nice cozy-evening-inside scent with someone close, I think. It's definitely a night-time scent, at any rate. One thing though, I found that if applied to quite sensitive skin, it would cause an allergic reaction. I'm going to have to be more careful where I put this.

Nemesis seems so sweet and girly at first (I think it's the dried rose that's causing that feminine delicacy in this scent), but you really wouldn't want to mess with her. Wearing this, today, I found myself unwilling to take much crap and was certainly not as easy-going as I am usually. Hmm, I think I'll save this for when I need to be a little more, um, in charge. Ahem. She'll go with my stilletos.

Wrath is a hot sweet melting on my tongue. It has Dragon's Blood, which always seems to have this warm, almost pulsing quality to me. Unlike Alecto (another BPAL outlet for anger), which is a beautiful, elegantly dressed lady whose rage bubbles unnoticed under the surface, Wrath is the fiery, overblown rage of youth. This is a girl (or, possibly, boy) wearing exactly what her mother told her not too, and possessing an anger that she can't explain (and, also, chewing cinnamon chewing-gum). It's that sort of anger that prompts you to throw your mobile phone at the nearest wall and scream just to reach catharsis. It's highly probable, though, that Wrath will not grow up to become Alecto, however.

Black Forest does indeed smell like a pine forest. Actually, it smells like being at the very centre of the forest and it's Winter, so it's cold, the trees are bare and there are broken branches and cobwebs. You keep thinking you can see glowing eyes in the darkness between the trees, and you daren't imagine if they belong to some sort of dangerous fanged animal or are simply supernaturally disembodied, and you can't decide which is worse. It's where Black Rose met her doom, and you can still catch a hint of her perfume in the air, but it's faint. If I smell this close up, however, it smells medicinal, like a doctor's surgery. Will have to stop doing that, then.

Iago, on one wrist, smelt like leather being scrubbed with soap and, on the other, liquourice. It's nice, but not really the malicious malcontent I was hoping for. This would probably work better on a far more masculine chemistry than mine, though. Someone who would bring out all of the leather and none of the smoke.

Fae is sparkly and fruity. It is tiny fairies flitting about in diaphonous dresses made of leaves and petals that really should have disintegrated by now. It is that giggly feeling you get when you're all light headed. It is taking a mouthful of fizzy, fruity wine, and feeling the bubbles on your nose and the sharpness of the alcohol on your tongue. Peach, apparently, does not go ever so artificial smelling on me, which is nice.

Bewitched smells like berries. It's kind of an artificial smell, though, but in a nice way. It smells like the berries growing in the woods outside Princess Barbie's kingdom, plants that look sort of real from a way off, but up close, they look somewhat synthetic and bright and in impossible bloom for this time of year. It's odd, because in the bottle, this is far more complex, but on my skin, it's a scent for a young girl in a sparkly pink gown and purple shoes with a heel. The type of outfit you thought was the height of glamour when you were six. It's not plastic-y or unpleasant, just not really a grown-up scent. Good thing is, though, it's subtle enough for someone older and with better sartorial tastes to wear.

Hell's Belle is sweet but with something darker laying underneath. It's warm and sexy. This is the perfume worn by someone confidently alluring, in curve clinging silk or velvet, spiked heels and a sultry red smirk. She will lull you into a false sense of security, until you are hers.

Greed, in the bottle, and, at first, on my skin is almost pure patchouli. And that makes me think of anything but riches. As it dries, though, it becomes less 'dirty', and far more lavish. There is still dust, but it's gold dust. This is money belonging to someone who knows how to use it. This is soft, subtle, yet spicy and luxurious.

Gertrude is pretty and cool. But it's not a young, fresh scent, but a cold, elegant one. It is most definately violet. Luckily, I don't have a problem with florals. It suits the confident lady who doesn't need to make a spectacle of herself to have all eyes on her. I'm picturing an older lady than myself, but perhaps I could pull it off on a particular day, with a particular outfit on, whilst in a particular mood.

Dragon's Blood is earthy and sweet at the same time, and it's nice because the earthiness and the sweetness balance each other out. What I'm left with is a red, warm scent. Like I could just sink down into a vat of this and sleep, and absorb its energy. There's definitely a sense of the womb, here.

The Coiled Serpent, on me, smells spicy and earthy. Not dirty, earthy. In the bottle it is very potent, but on my skin, it is rather soft and smooth. Upon putting this on to review, I did feel more energetic, and do still, now, despite it being a time when I would usually go to bed. It's not really a pretty 'perfume' scent; it's something I'd wear to tidy up, or exercise, even. I think it suits today's outfit of a fitted teeshirt and slightly-too-big jeans. It wouldn't suit a pretty dress.

Wilde is a masculine scent. It's quite lovely and elegant, but still masculine, too. It's quite sexy, too. I can't quite detect any notes. If Ville Valo were to scrub up really well and shave, again, he could wear this. It's a foppish scent, and he's not cynical enough for Villain. It isn't too masculine for a lady, though, if she wants to be a little androgynous.

Brimstone is harsh and acrid at first. It's eye-wateringly, funny-taste-in-the-back-of-your-throat acrid. And it really is strong. Worn in the cold, this gives me the image on walking over land that has just been ravaged by fire. Burnt twigs and dry earth crackle under my shoes, and there is a sense of destruction in the air, and a chemical, not so natural danger, too. It's starkly cold and smoky at the same time. After a while, though, it softens. It's still a burning smell, but it's turning into an extinguished campfire, or even a bonfire. The harshness and the danger is disappearing, but there still were flames. It's an interesting scent, certainly, and one that fits the description perfectly. However, I think for me to wear this often, I would need to dilute it or layer it with something. Maybe it would work with one of the Ars Draconis scents.

Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo certainly is a happy scent. It's like one of the scents I'd wear when I was younger, except better, because it's not full of alcohol. It's lovely and bright. But it's happy in an excitable, childlike way; it's not at all a relaxing scent. It's one that I'd put on in the morning on a rather warm day. Probably a Saturday.

A snarling, feral scent, ever-so-slightly deranged: hot leather, opoponax, cedar, pine needle, mosses, dry grass, patchouli and cinnamon bark. Geek is green, and quite sweet, but not sickly sweet. A pleasant, sharp sweet, if that makes sense. I picture this being gooey and green in appearance and consistance. I can definitely see how this is 'snarly', too. When I put it on this morning, I felt ready to go, more upbeat and far less down than yesterday. Geek is also one of those odd scents that smells rather feminine on me, but I can tell would be wonderfully masculine on a man.

Hunger starts out with that sharp, musky hairspray-like smell. My hopes were not high. Eventually, though, it softened into a sweet, soft, somewhat foody smell. It made me want to spend my holidays wrapped up nice and warm in the sitting room with the Christmas tree. It has a very yuletide smell. This could be sexy, I suppose. If I was in a sexy mood at the moment, I'd probably think so, too.

Aizen-Myoo is very, very bright and sharp. Very citrus. It makes me think of the brightest oranges and yellows, worn with brilliant diamonds and gems. It's beautiful, actually.