hersphinxness

In the bottle: Honestly not great. I didn't get an imp, I went straight in for a bottle because THE ECLIPSE IS SO EXCITING. When I opened the bottle, I was convinced I'd just wasted $20+. Wet: Not... bad? Strange. Nothing like in the bottle. Difficult to pick anything out, generally fine but there's something a little funky. But funky in that way where you know it will either dry to something amazing or smell like a urinal. Dry: Incredible. I'm love. There's something about it that reminds me of Stardust, which I love. It must be the ylang ylang because that's all they have in common afaik. But I have other scents with ylang ylang and I don't get this wonderful, sparkly, sexy, lush, delicious smell from them. Whatever, it's beautiful, I'm happy.

If you have any issues with jasmine, this is definitely not for you. Not even worth testing, or sniffing or even glancing at. If you are down with jasmine, then oh yeah, you'll probably dig this. Because it is jasmine, and it is here, and it is queen. For the first several hours, this is rich, bold, exquisite jasmine. Swaggering, prowling, sensual jasmine, a femme fatale of scent. You don't wear this if you want to blend into a crowd. You have to live up to the scent. Oh, how I love jasmine. Later, the jasmine fades, and the rose and amber come out more. They're both sweetened and tempered by the ylang ylang and apple blossom (and presumably the sweetbriar, though I'm not familiar with it so not sure if that's what I'm smelling). Still a very big, sexy perfume. Classy, but never demure.

I'm so glad I bought a bottle unsniffed, because this is lovely and makes so very happy. A gentle, dewy, fresh, floral warmed by the myrrh. Wet, it's much greener and dewier and, somehow, pollen-y (though not in a sneezing way, in the way you feel like you have an actually flower there, with it's pistil and pollen and leaves). The cherry blossom and dandelion are definitely the top notes, but they're not prima donnas about it. The sweet little wildflowers are there, and the myrrh is just lovely. Not spicy enough to make this seem summery, but enough to give a sense of warmth. This is a spring day after a light, refreshing rain, and all the new, green and flowering things are putting on a fresh burst of growth. This is so unexpected. I feel like I've been looking for this scent for years and didn't know it. I can't stop wearing it (or surreptitiously sniffing my wrist when I wear it).

First impression is an odd, spicy incense. Odd, because I immediately recognize that this is incense and some sort of spice or seasoning, and it's intensely familiar but I have no idea what it is. The incense could be some kind of slightly generic, strong, smoky "Eastern" stuff in a New Age shop, the spice is a very specific smell that I simply can't put my finger on. I'm certain it's a cooking spice, though I can't match it with any spice or food at the moment. But it's not actually a good spice, and I don't feel like it's connected to anything that I would enjoy eating. Plus, there's this really weird smell winding it's way through the other notes, getting stronger--- Ugh! Fertilizer! Exactly the fertilizer that made me gag in The Red Rider, though I tested this on the other hand, several hours and handwashings later. Gross spice some DIY hippie keeps in the kitchen with their stinkiest incense and the fertilizer aisle at Home Depot. Yuck.

Much nicer than I expected! The first thing I notice is the lavender, which is crisp and pleasantly bracing. The tonka adds some sweetness, but not enough to spoil the coolness and weight of the scent. I also get a "cool" impression from this, even though the patchouli, resin, and wood should make this distinctly warm, especially with the tonka. But somehow, even though I can smell the smoky, woody, resin notes, this adds up to a cool scent. The lavender fougere, maybe? This is a great scent, and one I probably wouldn't have picked out on my own.

Oh, Dorian. If you knew how much I love your namesake... I knew I wouldn't like this one, because of the vanilla. I am very much opposed to vanilla. I knew it was futile, but I had to try it anyway. Yep, vanilla and sugar. Maybe a tea-ish note there? Mostly vanilla and sugar. While I enjoy tea and tiny cakes you might have with tea, smelling like them is not my thing. Absolutely lovely if you dig that, however.

This is my first try with the Lab's leather note, so bear that in mind. This is amazingly awful. In the imp, wet, dry, this is chemical lawn fertilizer. Strong. Awful. Like walking into the fertilizer section of a garden/hardware store, only amped up to the power of 1,000. Nasty. Awful. Did I say awful? I tested a few other blends today, and I now suspect that the guilty culprit here is balsam. Nasty, nasty balsam.

A warm, burnished scent. The orange blossom is surprisingly dominant and the carnation lends it a nice spiceyness. The patchouli isn't overwhelming on me. I'm not sure what's making the difference, but on me this patchouli is much more of a background note. There's a general incense layer in here. Masquerade didn't knock my socks off, but it's such a thoroughly pleasant, eminently wearable scent that I'm keeping this in the "good" imp box.

Kool Aid. No, Hawaiian Punch and that pink bubblegum, Bazookas.

In my bottle, this is mostly a sweet, warm orange, but not a citrusy orange (if that makes any sense!), with hints of resin and flowers. On, the orange fades out quickly and stays in the background. The musk, resin, and floral notes step up and blend together in this glorious warm blanket of bliss. I get a "sunset" vibe from this, too. It also has a classic feel, but with a twist, and in the best possible sense. Everything is in such perfect balance, it's never too sweet or too musky, not sharp or overwhelming. It's very "well bred", but something in combination gives it a unique edge. It's definitely not generic. Quite lovely, sophisticated, even a little sultry. It is very close to the skin, but I've found that as it ages it seems to last longer. Thank god it's beautiful, because I might have had to force myself to wear it anyway, just because! Two Loves, come on!

I was nervous about the beeswax note, since I've had that go grossly coconut on me before, but I gave it a shot anyway and I'm so glad I did! No coconut! The beeswax is one of the stronger notes, and it smells reassuringly like actual beeswax. In the decant, this is rather sharp. The woods are strong and dark and there's a hard metallic note, but cut with a warmer bouquet of scents. Maybe a little like resinous incense? This isn't much of a morpher for me once it's on. I get several layers of wood notes, I think, that lovely true beeswax, a very nice, tangy salt. The metallic note warms up quite a bit. There are so many things going on in this scent that it's hard to give an overall impression! It does suit the description, so if you find that intriguing you shouldn't be disappointed. A very complex, rich, warm scent. The best of the Yules I've sniffed.

Biggest BPAL heartbreak yet. Everything about Eos was insanely promising. The notes should work perfectly, it should be a wonderful, heady/humid floral with a kick of musk. It should be everything everyone here seems to get. In fact, in the imp it is. It's drop dead gorgeous. Wet, I get that promising smack of wet jasmine, that first sharp hit that after a few seconds almost always opens up to heaven. Not this time. Straight up BO with a touch of Sophia-esque plastic. This is the skin musk, I presume, and though I guess it sure does smell like skin musk I can't imagine wanting to smell like unwashed, greasy, foul skin. The flowers have been mashed into this unappealing mat of slightly plasticy ick underneath it. If I sniff real hard, I get these random wafts of true floral sweetness, golden and dewy. Or maybe that's just my imagination. Fortunately, from the distance most people stand there is only a few faint whiff of crayons and modelling clay, which is not my thing but at least not as blatantly offensive as body stink. This is such a bad case of skin chemistry gone medieval on a perfume. Eos, I was ready to love you, if not exclusively than at least intensely. Why did you turn on me?

I know there's no lavendar in this, but somehow once it hits my skin I get this very crisp, assertive lavendar note. It reminds me of a Victorian style lavendar perfume I had as a teenager. It's actually very nice and different from my other florals; it smells more "natural" somehow. Dry, I can pick out the lilac. It's softened a bit and sweetened, but the rose and wisteria are still making this fresh lavendar magic. This is great. It has a distinctly old-fashioned, Victorian feel, but it's not stuffy. It's a classic, slightly vintage scent, confident enough that it doesn't have to shout about itself. Poised. Pretty without being silly or sweet. It's a close to the skin scent on me, though it does last a while.

A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom. Apricots all the way, from the imp right down to the end. Maybe some of the orange blossom? Besides the apricot there was a vague, not-apricot sweetness. But it was so much fruity sweetness, just so much that it was too much. I felt like I might as well have poured apricot soda on myself. It even smelled sticky, like nectar or soda. This is a winner with just about everyone who smelled it on me, and it is a really pretty blend. If you like smelling strongly of apricots, that is, in which case Katharina should probably form the core of your apricot scent collection. Very long wear time and strong throw. Edit: Just gave it a farewell sniff before bed, and it's all white musk and orange blossom which is so much my thing that it's crazy. Can I handle feeling like I'm going to attract swarms of ravenous yellowjackets to get to this point? Oh BPAL, you and your morphing scents!

Another who got this as a frimp from the Lab; I never would have tried this on my own, so I'm very glad they sent it! Wet, I get these oddly... lush green notes. This isn't the kind of green I get from herbal or grass scents, or even leafy ones. It's like a jungle green, almost aquatic but definitely not. The musk is also strong, and there's this unidentifiable sharp, bitter edge that sort of rolls off the scent. Again, it's not like the other smoke, ash, or even stone/mineral notes I've smelled before, but that's all I can think of. It's somehow very fresh, not in a clean, linen way. Something like the freshness that comes with a thunderstorm. I get hints of very lush florals. Dry, the smoke and musk settle down and the florals come to the fore. Definitely ylang ylang, probably plumeria and jasmine. There's something that's almost fruity, but not enough to turn me off or make it stray into hairspray territory. I think I love this! This might be the humid, south Florida floral scent I've been wanting, but with an unexpected edge. Smoke and musk are still clearly there and that thunderstorm freshness (I don't think it's ozone, but maybe this is a rare time that ozone actually smells good on me). I've never been near a volcanic, and maybe it's the power of suggestion, but it really does evoke a jungle-clad volcano. Big, sexy tropical flowers and this wonderful geological base. Lasts all day on me and has a moderate throw.

One of my first BPAL loves! Took me long enough to review it. Wet, and through most of its wear time, Pride is a big, bold rose. Not even a dainty, soft rose, but full-on, regal, crispy-edged rose. I love rose, and "rabid hauteur" has been used to describe me before, so, hey, perfect match! After several hours, the narcissus begins to peak out. Not because it's timid, but the rose is just that strong. It puts a lovely, extra-sultry edge on it. It's true that, since the Lab first frimped me Pride, I've acquired a number of big, ballsy rose scents. It's similar to Peacock Queen, but not an exact match. This one has narcissus in it! And it's called Pride!

Wet, jasmine with magnolia. Strong, but not the strongest I've had a floral go when wet. Dry, the magnolia, jasmine, and orchid combine in this beautiful, subtle way. There's a kind of rosy resin base grounding the scent, but it's way in the background. This is surprisingly light and fresh. I was expecting a kind of heady, hothouse scent (well, hoping for it) from the notes. But, nope, this is a very pretty, almost delicate scent with a wonderful, complex floral sweetness. Decent throw and wear time.

When patchouli and vetiver are bad, they are so very, very bad. But when they're good, you get pure dark sex, like Silas. Wet, it's very sharp and smokey and musky. It's also quite strong. I can pick out the frankincense remarkably well, it's like a little bit of church in the middle of something naughty. It's almost too much, but has just enough tact to keep from reeking. Dry, oh sweet, smokey opium! This is a very well blended perfume, however, and all the notes behave and support each other's best sides beautifully. It's dark, rich, sweet, and incredibly sexy. The opium lingers the longest and even hours later I can smell that distinct opium note. I can't say how much I love this. It's a unique, complicated scent that is definitely not for blending in!

Wet, I get wine gums. This disgusts me, because I made the mistake of eating a wine gum once. After a little while, I get a whiff of something that reminds me of those awful "grape" flavored children's chewable Tylenol. This is Not Good on a grand scale. Dry, the hideous "wine" scent (if real wine smelled like that, I'd never drink it!) is challenged by a perfectly decent musky floral bouquet. But with this syrupy, almost candy sweetness. And that nasty fake grape/wine gum scent is maybe just perceptable. Or I was so traumatized that I can't get the memory out of my nose. This is not the worst BPAL I've smelled (here's looking at you, Saturnalia and Sophia), but the dry phase, while entirely okay, is just not enough to make up for the initial, lingering impression. This may have been bad enough to scare me off any red wine notes. I really wanted this to work, because it's Wanda! But, alas, I'm one of the unlucky ones.

Wet, strong roses. Luckily, I like roses. Dry, the rose is by far the dominant note. I get some of the humid sweetness of the jasmine and lily, but they're quite faint. The rose is strong enough to almost be sharp but something, the amber (?), tempers it and takes the edge off. This reminds me of Monna Vanna, but without that risky ambergris note (sometimes it just goes all wrong on me). A very womanly, elegant scent.

I was inspired to dig this out of my imp box by sister. On her, it's an amazing humid floral scent, exactly the kind of thing I like. I was very excited. I put it on, sniff, and... OLD SPICE. I waited until it dried. Still, Old Spice. Ack, no, help, I smell like my dad! On my list of things I want to smell like "my dad" is probably, oh, dead last. Why, Al-Azif, why?

Jezebel remains pretty much the same in all stages. And that is... sandalwood! Sandalwood duking it out with the sticky sweetness of the orange blossom and honey! The rose gets a bit lost; I can catch hints of it beneath the sandalwood, but it's mostly in a supporting role. This is a very warm, sensual scent. I try to be more practical than poetic in reviews, but the scent kind of glows. I think I love it. It's a very strong scent, incredible throw, lasted literally all day and all night.

Very musky in the imp, with maybe a touch of floral. Wet, the jasmine is very strong. This is fine by me because I love jasmine, but this is already not a perfume for jasmine haters! The musk is still noticable, but the jasmine is clearly in control at this stage. Once it dries, this is a beautiful, sweet jasmine with depth and complexity. The musks calm down and the sandalwood and almond come out. I'm not sure I'm getting the oakmoss, but there is something in here I can't quite place. Medium throw and lasts quite a while. One of my favorites.

An undefinable, non-foody sweetness in the imp. On, it's honeysuckle! Wonderful, luscious honeysuckle. There's a rich resin under the sweetness of the flower, and the warmth of the cinnamon. The cinnamon never gets distinctly spicy, but warms up the resins and flower. Now and then I can pick out some elusive hint of spice. This is a strong scent with a lot of throw and a very long life. I didnt expect to like this as much as I do. This may very well require a bottle.

In the imp, a rather sharp, unfamiliar smell cut with an aggressive herbal. On my skin, it opens up into this soft, yet completely sophisticated and confident herbal floral. It's a beautiful scent, like being outdoors in a garden in early summer (even more so than my dear Garden Path With Chickens!). It's very close to the skin, an intimate scent. A completely non-soapy freshness. I like this. One big drawback: it's gone after about three hours. Completely, utterly gone, melted into my skin. Reapplying didn't even really freshen it, which was weird, the fresh application just seemed to be eaten on contact!