patina

I didn't think I'd like this one. Having smelled it, I can see the point of people who say this is a generic apple/fall scent. I did have a shampoo that smelled like it too. But- I love this anyway. It's so juicy, rich, and complicated. Like sitting alone on a cool fall evening with candles burning and a glass of really great cider. The only problem is that it tends to get faint. It seems to come and go. Yes. I bought a bottle. It's also excellent layered with The Hellgate of Ireland. I think I need to try Lamb's Wool now, so I can compare it. EDIT: Many people have complained about this fading quickly. I did notice that the smell came and went, but after slathering I still smelled this eight hours later.

In bottle and beginning of drydown: Ugh. Soap. Pure soap. Then: Chestnuts! With a green scent in the background that bears a sleight resembalance to soap. It's comforting and soothing, in a way, though I don't think I'd use a bottle. Also, the smell's making me want to eat chestnuts.

EDIT: Years later: OKAY so I've often wondered out of Hastur and Ligur which one was the tall, menacing one and which one was the squat lurking one. Pretty sure that Hastur is the squat one. Someone said correctly that this was a scent of someone being miserable in the rain and it is. i'm thinking of an oily, oppressive humidity and a single cigarette. Not enough to make the whole thing totally ashy but enough to be detected. The labdanum is nice and round, there's a hint of sulphur but not too much. Nice. But not something I'd wear too much.

You know what this reminds me of? Ultraviolet, with Lavender instead of violet. Very sweet lavender, almost sugary when first applied. I keep thinking I smell vanilla musk too. I can picture a sweet-tempered, sleightly unhinged Victorian gentleman. Or I could see Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka wearing this. The musk makes it sleightly more masculine than feminine to me, though a dignified grown-up woman could pull it off too. Minty creamy musky lavender-vanilla-y with a tiny hint of citrus. Some people may find the sleight taint of "medicinal" unpleasant, but I think it's bracing, like Ultraviolet.

In the bottle it smelled a lot like cherry syrup with vicks vap-o-rub, but I know better than to pay attention to bottle smells. On- wow. Smoke, pungent musky smoke, with some wee plums and cherries hiding behind it. what is in here? Leather? Trace amounts of vetiver? Probably Sage. Oya is definately a war Goddess on me. This is a butch perfume. Similar to Morganuse but without the screaming! jasmine. This may have jasmine, but it's not loud. Also, Morganeuse's smoke is kind of sweet on me, more inscence than musk. Here, something is definately bitter. Almost like smudge smoke. I haven't tried Carnival Diabolique's Stormclouds over the Midway yet, nor Blood Countess, but when I do I'll have to come back here to compare.

We've finally caved in to years of requests for vampiric scents. As soft as grave dust and as dry as a breath drawn within a long forgotten crypt, this is Nosferatu: desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines. I know everyone's reviewed this already, but this has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced from BPAL. When I got the shiny new imp, fresh from the lab, I put it on. I wanted to like it- I could tell there was a lot going on and I like wine smells. But in addition to wine and gritty dirt, it also smelled like rotten chocolate and laundry detergent. The soapy smell wasn't bad, but combined with the wine and the chocolatishness, it was nauseating. In addition there was a herby, grassy note that was loud and bitter. It felt like I'd poked a sharp piece of dry grass up my nose. Allergic reaction! I had to lie down and try not to throw up. A month or so later, I decided to try it again. Yes, I am crazy. The sharp grass had calmed waay down. The herbs were still very bitter, but they receded into the background eventually- now it's a much better herb, wine, and dirt scent. Still not sure if I'm going to get a 5ml, but if you really like earthy smells or wine, you might want to give this one a second chance. Edit: Second chance, this smells a bit like a wine spill in a janitor's closet. Meh.