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In the Vial: Smells like a forest. An evergreen forest, which is strange because there are no actual evergreen notes in this (though I suppose it's the aspen). Nor is there anything that should really be a "cold" note, but it smells cold. An evergreen forest in the winter. There's a medicinal sharpness to it as well, and... something almost tarlike. I can just pick out the wild berry, and I think I'm getting the golden musk, too. No honeycomb - here's hoping it comes out on my skin. Wet: The berry's certainly coming out more, but no honeycomb yet. The phantom evergreens are still the star of the show, and smelling even more medicinal, and almost minty. It makes my nose feel cold, like eucaplyptus does. After a few minutes it starts to warm up and get a bit sweeter. Dry: Oh, I think the honeycomb is finally starting to peek out... but it's still shy. The berry and floral notes have gotten stronger, making this a lot prettier and more feminine, rather than a manly pine scent. An Hour Later: Wow, I can't believe how mellow it's gotten after the initial extreme evergreen. The evergreen scent has really faded, and is no longer cold and wintry, but it is still there in the background, hanging out with the florals. The honeycomb still doesn't smell like either honey or beeswax, but it's definitely lending a sweetness to the berry and making it smell really foody. Overall: Quite a morpher, but in a good way. I don't like evergreens, so I'm not a fan of this in its initial stages, and while it does get nicer, it's still not something I would wear.

Monster Bait: Bones Trombone: Pie crust, smears of blueberry marshmallow cream and lemon meringue, and hemlock. That came to mind right away. I haven't smelled it myself yet (it's an unfortunate victim of the ongoing Canada Post strike), but I'm sure hoping for a yummy marshmallow scent! Other blends that list a marshmallow note, but will be hard to find since they're all LEs (though I think Sue's Great Old Puppet Show is still available at Dark Delicacies)... Chewing Little Bits of String: Marshmallows, a bit of limp lettuce, and wads of soggy cotton soaking in a stew of tea (with lemon and honey!). Marshmallow Poof: A gooey mound of white fluffiness! Marshmallow Pumpkin: Marshmallow goo and pumpkin pulp! Plastic Pink Flamingo: Pink sugar-crusted marshmallow, dandelion, and sap. Sticky Pillowcase: Smushed candy corn, rock candy dust, marshmallow gunk, strawberry goo, spun blue sugar, globs of salt water taffy, and lint. Sue's Great Old Puppet Show: Hot cocoa, tiny marshmallows, white glue, stick-on googly eyes, and felt! Velvet Clown: Rum-soaked cotton candy, boot-stomped licorice whips and circus peanuts, scorched marshmallows, a dribble of corn whiskey, cigar smoke, and greasepaint. White Chocolate, Marshmallow, And Coconut: (No notes listed... but it's kind of obvious)

In the Vial: This is beautiful. Very old-world, wistful, and lonely. The rose is prominent, and definitely dry and dusty. The candle smoke lends a sweet creaminess, and the frankincense gives it a sharp, smoky edge. I'm not sure I'm getting the saffron; nothing is screaming Middle Eastern or spicy to me. Wet: Please, please, please don't turn into single note rose! It gets a little sweeter at first, then really sharp, and then... single note rose. Oh skin, how I despise you. Dry: Okay, maybe not quite single note rose. It's definitely ROSE! but there's something else there, too. Something perfumey. And almost a little foody, so I think it's the saffron. But yeah, the rose is so strong on my skin that when I sniffed the imp again to compare, I didn't even notice the rose anymore because it's so much fainter in the imp. An Hour Later: A bit softer and sweeter, but still a perfumed rose. Which I prefer to the soapy rose I usually get. Overall: I really loved this in the imp, and I hate my skin for ruining it by amping the rose. The end result was quite nice, though, and better than rose blends usually end up on me, but still, I wish the other notes could have stuck around. This may be the one rose blend I keep in my arsenal.

In the Vial: Mouthwash. Yup, this is mouthwash. Minty and herbal. I can just get that "barest hint of lemon" too. Wet: Gets warmer and softer and less like mouthwash - but still very minty and herbal. And a little soapy. Oh, and here comes the anise to turn it into black licorice! Dry: Black licorice with mint and a bit of lemon. OR NO, WAIT! It smells like a black lollipop! You know those little bundles of lollipops that grocery stores used to sell? Everyone always hated the black ones, but I liked them. And that's what this smells like! An Hour Later: The same, but it's already faded quite a bit. Overall: I'm getting a kick out of the black lollipop scent, and I actually like it, but - this isn't something I'd wear as a perfume.

In the Vial: I'm very wary of trying this, because vetiver and I do not have the best relationship. But, my rule is to try everything once, so let's get 'er done. I do smell the vetiver, but it's lurking beneath the other notes... waiting for its chance to jump out and get me. I just know it. I get more than just a trickle of Snake Oil in this, the blood musk comes across as red musk (or are they the same thing?), and the combination of vanilla and patchouli hearkens to one of my favorites, Banshee Beat. Maybe this won't be so bad after all! Wet: Goes somewhat powdery right off the bat; oh amber, why are you being so mean to me lately? The Snake Oil is still quite pronounced, but the vanilla and patchouli are fading. Oh, and there's the lavender, coming out with guns blazing; very green and herbal at first, but it softens after a minute. Happily, I'm not getting the salty meat smell that I usually get from vetiver! Dry: I must say, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this. It's similar to Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller in that it's a sexy, red Snake Oil scent. I'd say the Snake Oil and sandalwood are the strongest in this, followed by the amber and its hateful powderiness, and the blood musk. The vanilla is coming back, as is a bit of the patchouli, and the lavender and vetiver give it a sharp kick. I could swear there was some honey in this, too. An Hour Later: I kept getting wafts of the throw and thinking, "What does that smell like? It smells like something, but what?" Then it finally hit me: DORIAN. How in the hell do I get Dorian out of this? HOW? Only in the throw, though; up close, it's still primarily Snake Oil, but it's gotten much lighter than it was before, which is odd considering how many heavy notes it has. It's a light, sweet Snake Oil with a backing of patchouli, a hint of red musk and resiny amber, and that phantom honey note. Overall: Wow! I like something with vetiver! But do I like it enough to get a bottle? Probably not. When it comes to Snake Oil blends, I'm content with the original, and Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller for something with a twist. I'll be using up my decant, though! Later: WELL. Tombeur just got a "You smell good!" from my boyfriend - his first unsolicited reaction to BPAL. Perhaps I will need a bottle of this after all!

Does anyone find Tombeur to have a Dorianesque throw? There is absolutely no reason it should, but I swear I'm smelling Dorian wafting around every time a breeze comes in the window (and it would be one hell of a longshot for someone wearing Dorian to be standing outside my window). Am I crazy, or does anyone else get this too?

In the Vial: Have you ever smelled a bottle of vitamin C tablets? That's what this smells like. Sweet orange with something slightly medicinal underneath it. (But don't get me wrong, it's not eucalyptus-type medicinal. Just something that triggers "medicinal" in my brain.) I think I'm getting the apricot, patchouli, and pink pepper as well, but to be honest, it's really hard to pick the notes out of this blend. I can smell other things than orange, but they're hard to pinpoint. Wet: The honey comes out pretty quickly. But it's a powdery honey. And... wow, my skin is just eating this up! I can hardly smell anything. Dry: Oh good, my skin has apparently spit it back up - I can smell it again now. Powdery honey and amber with a hint of orange. Strikes me more as orange blossom than orange fruit, An Hour Later: The same. Maybe a bit more powdery. And there's something there, lurking in the background, that I just don't like... but I have no idea what it is. Oh, I just remembered there's rose in this! I don't dislike rose, but I amp it like no tomorrow - but I don't smell it here! Maybe a teensy bit, in the powdery feel of it, but that's it! It didn't turn to single note rose like every other blend with a rose note does! Color me shocked! Overall: I can't believe how different this is on me than it was on my boyfriend. He got woodsy honey; I get powdery orange. Not fair! I would've loved woodsy honey, but powdery orange is so not for me - even without that mystery something that was turning me off.

YES! I've been hoping there were other Nerdfighters around and that Pizza John would bring them out of the woodwork. </offtopic>

Oh, I just saw this. The CNS I got today was for an order that included Bones Trombone, placed May 18. So I'm guessing it isn't on backorder. Also, I may be mistaken, but I believe that if any item is on backorder, your entire order will be held until that one item is available. So nothing would have been shipped to you if Bones Trombone was on backorder.

In the Vial: The first thing that popped into my head was: woodsmoke. I'm guessing that's a combination of the sassafras and myrrh tricking me. Upon further sniffing, I can pick out the sassafras for what it actually is (and it smells oh so slightly boozy in this), as well as the nutmeg, and maybe the black poppy in a generally floral kind of way. Wet: Warmer and sharper than it was in the imp, making that woodsmoke vibe even stronger. After a minute, the sassafras and myrrh start to separate and become more individually noticeable. And it gets a bit sweeter. Dry: This is sitting by a bonfire with a hot mug of sarsaparilla in your hand. As time goes on, the myrrh really picks up speed and starts to overtake the sassafras. An Hour Later: Very heavy on the myrrh now, with hints of sassafras and nutmeg. The sweetness has vanished completely. Overall: Interesting! I liked it best in the early stages, and wish the myrrh hadn't gotten quite so strong. Will probably keep the imp, but don't need a bottle.

I am as well. My order was fairly large so I figure it's likely that something is on back-order. Just so you know you're not the only one. I just posted my CNS (for a May 18 order), and it looks like a lot of international orders are getting CNSes for May 13 orders now. So hopefully yours will be coming soon too!

In the Vial: YUM! Warm, roasted chestnuts, deliciously sweet and a little gingery. I think I'm getting the berries, too, and maybe a hint of a floral note, but this is 98% chestnuts. I can't believe this was a Halloweenie and not a Yule - it's such a Christmas scent! Wet: Gets a little spicier and foodier, in a way that brings Gingerbread Poppet to mind. After a few minutes, the sweetness starts to fade a little, and the other notes finally start to peek out and give the blend a gorgeous woodsiness. I'm probably imagining it, but there's a hint of something boozy in here! Dry: Oh, WOW. This is so good. Foody and woodsy at the same time, and so warm and comforting. The only downfall is that it's not very strong. But I'm already wondering: how am I ever going to find a bottle of this? An Hour Later: Heartbreakingly, my skin chemistry, that bitch, is turning it to rancid butter. Vaguely nutty and woodsy rancid butter. Overall: NOT FAIR. Gorgeous and bottle-worthy before it went bad. I will test it other places than my hand and hope to find a way to make it work.

In the Vial: Milk, honey, white pepper, and... something green, though I'm probably imagining it. I think I'm getting the linen, but I'm not sure. I don't get the tea or vanilla at all; I hope they show up on my skin. You'd think a blend with honey and vanilla would be sweet, but this isn't. Wet: Oh, there's the tea, and it's a little lemony like the tea in Dorian. The milk and white pepper are more noticeable, but they're kind of strange together, if I'm being honest. They honey disappears for a minute or two but then slowly comes back. Still no vanilla. Maybe I'm crazy, but this smells like cigarette smoke. Dry: Ugh, the milk note is doing its sour thing. The honey's gone again, and the vanilla is still MIA. And yeah, cigarette smoke. An Hour Later: The same, but with the addition of that "clean" (read: ozone) linen scent... which makes this even worse than it was before. Overall: Think it's time to officially add milk to my list of death notes: it always goes sour on me. This blend was a huge fail for me overall.

Seven pages of discussion about Harry Potter scents and not one recommendation for Ron Weasley? I think he'd smell very earthy and green (from the garden at The Burrow), with a hint of ozone (from the Quidditch pitch). I also like to think he'd be a bit minty, thanks to the spearmint toothpase scent in Hermione's Amortentia. Based on these ideas, we have: Tin Phoenix: Pale metals, crackling ozone, hyssop, white mint, tonka, and lemongrass. A Howl in the Darkness: Animalic brown musk, wild sage, Terebinth pine, black oak, kunzea, cistus labdanum, verbena, juniper, metallic ozone, and white mint. The Ring: Antiqued amber, frankincense, patchouli, hay, oakmoss, skin musk, and white mint. But I haven't tried any of those so I can't testify to their Ronness. Any other suggestions?

In the Vial: I would never have thought Sagittarius would smell green, seeing as it's a fire sign, but this is very green. Very dandelion! I can pick out the fig (mainly in the sweetness it's giving the blend), and I think the chamomile as well. Surprisingly, the clove and sage missing in action. Wet: Gets quite warm, and a little watery... like dandelions and other greens and herbs floating in a bowl of warm water. After a minute or so, the clove finally starts to emerge, but it's really soft and light. Dry: I'm not at all familiar with balm of gilead, but I know that's what I'm smelling now, probably because it's bringing No. 93 Engine very strongly to mind (and it is, apparently, the only other blend with balm of gilead listed as a note). It's got that soft, waxy, herbal smell. Very warm and comforting. It smells less green and more herbal now, but in a dry way - that watery quality is completely gone. The dandelion has faded, the fig has strengthened, and the clove remains soft and very slightly spicy. I am really loving this stage! An Hour Later: It's gotten pretty faint and lost some of its complexity, sadly. It's now just hints balm of gilead, fig, and clove. Overall: I was wary of this blend because of the green notes, which I don't usually care for, and the clove, which is usually way too strong for my liking... but I was very pleasantly surprised! Everything is beautifully balanced and well-blended. And that balm of gildead - wow. I hope it turns up in more blends. This starts out as a spring scent, but ends up as a warm and comforting autumn scent, in my opinion. Still not exactly what I'd imagine for a Sagittarius, but it works. The only minus is that it doesn't last! I will treasure my decant, and snatch up a bottle if I ever get the chance. Later: After about two hours, it gets the "clean" smell I associate with ozone. And which I don't like. Huh.

How about... WILF for Remus Lupin? (cough)

In the Vial: Heavy, sticky sweet, and toasted. It doesn't scream blackberry, but there's definitely a dark fruitiness there. Reminds me a lot of Grog! I wish I had some to compare. Wet: It's losing a bit of that toasted smell, and getting fruitier and more jam-like. After a minute, a buttery creaminess starts to come out, which must be the scones. Dry: First of all, this stuff has a killer throw. Secondly, I like the throw better than the up-close scent, which is turning plasticky. And I'm getting a milk note (clotted cream on the scones?) which I think is causing that plastic smell. An Hour Later: It's becoming that generic gingerbreadesque foody scent that so many BPAL blends do on me. Well, at least it's not plasticky anymore! Overall: A little disappointed that this didn't work better on me since it seems to be a big hit with those who it does work for. I would've liked the blackberry note to be stronger. I think I'll have to pass this one on!

In the Vial: Ancient books? Faded incense? Candle wax? How could I not love this? Alas... I would love this if I could smell any of those notes, but all I smell is vetiver. Or at least it's that salty, meaty smell I associate with vetiver. I was not expecting this at all, and I'm extremely wary of putting this on my skin. But, I will be brave. Wet: Well, okay... the salty, meaty smell is lightening up, and something softer and sweeter and almost floral is coming out. Definitely turning into that masculine cologne that other people get. But, it's so faint already! Dry: What the hell? Now this is smelling aquatic. And others have mentioned an aquatic note, too. How do ancient books, faded incense, and candle wax translate into aquatic? In any case, that must've been where I was getting the salt from. So, yeah, this is a salty aquatic and somewhat soapy cologne. Maybe with a hint of wax, but no books, no incense. I am not a happy camper. An Hour Later: The same, though less salty and more... not exactly musky, but skin-like, if that makes sense. Overall: Add me to the list of people disappointed by this blend. It's a fine men's cologne, but I didn't want men's cologne. I wanted ancient books and faded incense and candle wax. Sigh!

I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet - The Antikythera Mechanism and Interfector are very close siblings. Maybe even fraternal twins. The second I sniffed Interfector yesterday, my brain screamed THEANTIKYTHERAMECHANISM! Both have tobacco and woods (teak and oak in Antikythera, "sharp woods" in Interfector), and both have a mild sweetness (black vanilla in Antikythera, bunn in Interfector). It was mainly the tobacco note that did it, though. I broke it out to do a comparison, and Antikythera has more of an herbal bite to it in the imp, while Interfector is softer and sweeter. The differences did grow on the drydown, though. On me, Antikythera becomes a warm, toasted, woodsy scent, while Interfector gets soft and kind of foody. Still, I'd definitely recommend Antikythera as a substitute for Interfector. (For the record, I prefer Antikythera.)

In the Vial: OH HI LEATHER. Wow. Okay. What else is in here? Honey, balsam, red musk, and maybe a bit of vanilla... and I could swear I smell something fruity, though there aren't any fruit notes in this. The more I sniff it, actually, the more complex it smells instead of just being slap-in-the-face LEATHER. It's a feminine leather, albeit a tough-chick kind of feminine. Wet: The balsam comes roaring out (starting to think I amp it, bah) and, paired with the leather, kills all the sweetness this had in the imp. No more honey, no more red musk, no more vanilla, no more phantom fruit note. Just smooth leather and balsam. What the hell, skin! Dry: Okay, the leather and balsam have mellowed out a bit, letting the other notes back in, though faintly. The honey is back, I'm getting the florals and vanilla finally, and the red musk is shyly lurking in the background. There's also a general woodsiness about it. Still very much a tough-chick scent. An Hour Later: The floral notes have gained steam, and the leather balsam has faded even more, while the honey and red musk have disappeared completely. Overall: Not what I was expecting! I don't find this smutty at all - maybe sexy, but not smutty. This is a posh feminine scent, but the leather keeps it tough and edgy. Think Selene in Underworld: badass chick in a vinyl catsuit and leather boots, but soft and pretty at the same time. I'm not sure I like how strong the floral notes got, and I wish the red musk and honey would've stuck around more. This'll take a few wearings before I can decide whether it's for me or not.

In the Vial: I received my Vampires Don't Sleep Alone decant circle imps today, and Interfector was the one blend that got a "WOW!" reaction out of me, so I had to try it first! It's sweet, woodsy tobacco. This is a lot like The Antikythera Mechanism - I actually had to get it out and do a comparison. The Antikythera Mechanism has a sharp Pine Sol smell to it at first, while Interfector lacks that, and is softer and sweeter overall. Wet: Gets really bright and sweet for a few seconds before warming up and mellowing out into gorgeous smokiness. Then it gets very slightly spicy, like there's a hint of... anise, maybe? No, wait, now I'm getting a sassafras vibe from it. I assume that this is the bunn, since someone else mentioned it's a type of taro. Dry: Hasn't changed much, aside from the bunn getting a bit stronger and giving the whole thing more of a foody feel. Tobacco is still the prominent note by a landslide. An Hour Later: Hmmmmm. It's gotten less fresh-tobacco and more old-cigarette-butt. But still foody. And, somehow, it's toeing into rancid butter terrority even though no note in this blend should possibly do that. I HATE MY STUPID SKIN CHEMISTRY. Overall: I was expecting to like this more than The Antikythera Mechanism, but while it starts off nicer, it doesn't end that way. I have a feeling the bunn is the culprit, because it's the foody notes that are turning me off. I may have to death match the two before making my final decision.

In the Vial: CLOVE. Super clove. But smoother and sweeter than straight-up clove - I want to say it's the sandalwood that's doing that, but I'm not sure. I can get a bit of cinnamon and tobacco in the background as well. Wet: CLOVE. But more of a genuine clove now. The tobacco's really putting up a good fight, though, and getting stronger every second. This is sticking your nose into a package of clove cigarettes and inhaling. Dry: Aha! The tea leaf has come out, and now it's chai tea! Very sweet chai tea, though. And... tobacco. Maybe there's a package of smokes sitting next to the teacup. An Hour Later: It's a little less sweet, a little softer and smoother, and a little... bubblegummy? But still mainly chai tea and tobacco. Overall: Interesting. I think I would like it more if it wasn't so sweet. The tobacco note in this reminds me a bit of The Antikythera Mechanism, but I much prefer that blend and would recommend it to anyone who thinks Plunder is too sweet and/or foody.

Resurrecting this thread to say that I find No. 93 Engine incredibly comforting. When battling some tough PMS-related emotional stuff a few weeks ago, I thought, "What scent should I wear to make me feel better?" And No. 93 Engine popped into my head immediately, even though I'd only worn it once before. But I went with it, and though it didn't totally erase my depression, it did make me feel somewhat better. It's probably going to be my go-to comfort blend now.

In the Vial: This must share some notes with Samhain (the smoky resin? the patchouli?) - it has a similar wet, sharp, woodsy smell. But it's sweet and creamy, too, thanks to the tonka and coconut. Wet: The florals, fruit gums, and resin really start to emerge on my skin. After a few minutes, they've completely taken over. It's all soft, sweet, powdery florals with a resinous background. The coconut has fled the coop, and the patchouli is nowhere to be seen. Dry: There's a bit of an Oriental spice feel to it now. And... it's watery, but not really aquatic, if that makes sense. Otherwise, still the same. An Hour Later: A lot less sweet, but that's the only real change. Overall: Wow, this is not what I was expecting this blend to be at all! I quite liked it in the imp, but it changed way too much on my skin. It's sort of a watered-down, softer version of Unveiled, which I absolutely love, but Dark Delicacies just isn't doing it for me. Later: About three hours in, I can finally smell the patchouli.

2010 version. In the Vial: One of the "swarthy, smutty" musks must be red musk, because that's all I'm smelling here. Sweet, warm, smooooooooooooth red musk. Smooooooooooooth, man. And yeah, it's boozy, too... maybe amaretto? Wet: The other musks start to emerge, though I couldn't name them if my life depended on it. There's something kind of fruity and candyish about this, but it's still boozy, and dark. Dark, slithering, and smooooooooooooth. Dry: Sexy, sugary, sweaty... smutty. The red musk is still prominent, but it's losing its booziness. On a whole, it's getting softer. An Hour Later: It's gotten much softer, and prettier, rather than sexy and smutty. It's a sweet, light red musk now. Overall: Nice... but, based on the reviews, I think there's a better Smut out there for me. I would've liked this to be sweeter, and to have stayed smutty. I could see this being my go-to red musk blend for now, though, until I can try the other Smuts.