Vega

Reviewing the 2008 version. Sniffed: Warm, mellow, spiced gourmand with a brighter, glowing cider touch. On skin: Samhain is truly beautiful and evocative of the Autumn season. Pumpkin and nutty spices form a rich, warm, deep base, while apple cider in conjunction with patchouli (and perhaps the woods) add a brighter, smooth, almost alcoholic high note. At one point after drydown, the clear cider/wine notes threatened to overwhelm the scent. That had me worried for a bit, but to my relief, the pumpkin/spices morphed back, and the blend eventually settled into a harmonious mix of apple cider laced liberally with nutty spices. Overall, Samhain is a lovely, well-blended light gourmand blend, radiating glowing warmth and comfort like a woollen blanket. Colour impression is a a mix of deep apple-red, pumpkin orange and russet brown. Verdict: I'm not one for foody blends since the heavier ones make me nauseous, but this is lovely and evocative (and wearable), and I'm glad that the cider/wine and pumpkin/spices aspects of the scent ended up complementing each other. Indeed, Samhain really does embody the essence of Autumn -- that is, the traditional, human rituals and activities associated with the season. It is the scent of civilization in harmony with nature, instead of a scent of pure nature itself. BPAL at its finest!

I loooove smoky-sweet blends, Liz being the best of all. I think Paramatman (Orange blossom, East Indian sandalwood, and champaca) fits your criteria perfectly. It's a lovely mix of sweet orange, dry sandalwood, and smoky champaca. Carceri d'Invenzione (Redwood, red sandalwood, black pepper, blonde tobacco and frankincense) may also work -- it's light, smooth wood that's also sweet and a touch smoky. Vespillo (patchouli, clove, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, sage, and iris) is a bit darker, and I found the clove lightly smoky. It really reminds me of glowing embers. I didn't get any smoke from the following blends, but you may have more luck: Cicuta (Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, and saffron) is light and pretty. It was mostly rose and saffron on me. Philosopher in Meditation (Smoldering woodfire embers, Galen’s Kyphi, and Abramelin incense) is light, mellow incense. ETA: thought of more recs!

I got a decant of Transeo when it was first released, and when I first tested it, I thought it was beautiful, if a bit "conventional" and uninteresting. It didn't impress me very much, so I put it away and forgot about it for several months. Until yesterday -- and what a huge difference eight months makes. My decant has aged AMAZINGLY. Sniffed: A panoply of orange, incense, woods and spices. Mellow and grounded. On skin: Transeo has orange top notes of mandarin and bergamot, grounded in warm woods and deep spices too blended for me to pick out. I could already smell this orange-woods-spice mix when I first got the decant, but oh, the base notes have now opened and deepened into what is now incredibly delicious and full-bodied. Overall this is mellow and deep, occasionally brightened by the shimmery and zesty fruity notes. Colour impression is an elegant mix of red-orange, rich chocolate, and glossy black. I can imagine one wearing this scent would be a very understated, non-flamboyant character, but at the same time very classy and up-market, radiating quiet power and influence. I can't smell any wine or blood, but I think I catch whiffs of a metallic undercurrent. This vampire is keeping a very low profile... Verdict: My, my my! Transeo has become something incredibly beautiful -- just shows that the Lab can make a blend that is both conventional yet has a distinct, unique presence. The Vampires really do get better with age, as they should! Transeo is a definite keeper, maybe worth a bottle.

Sniffed: Orange with a green streak: bright neroli mixed with other fruity and herbal notes. On skin: Succubus is a very intriguing juxtaposition of soaring, bright orange, and lush, thick green. Neroli is the most forward of the orangey notes, its shrillness only just tempered by the others; the green note can only be mimosa (and possibly clove, though this is not the grittier, burnt clove that I'm familiar with), which grounds the blend and gives contrast. A sweet blend, yes, but also tart, with a lush herbal green kick -- in other words, this is sweetness with an edge, with teeth. The scent is clear, almost shimmering, but also full-bodied. Definitely a potent, unapologetic scent, quite befitting its namesake! Over time the mimosa-green eventually burns off, leaving behind a sweet, gentle orange touched with spice. Colour impression is, not surprisingly, vivid orange slashed with sparkling emerald green. Verdict: I haven't smelled anything quite like Succubus, and while it's not entirely my kind of scent, I still find it compelling indeed! I've tested this blend many times, and some days it is more shrill and aggressive, some days tamer and sweeter. Definitely embodies all the characteristics of its namesake!

Sniffed: A blast of almond, maybe with some indistinct spices in the background. On skin: Still getting smacked in the nose by almond, but I can pick up faint traces of rose, sandalwood, and spices. Almond is definitely the star of the show, supported by a well-mixed blend of the other notes. A dry floral-spice (almond-dominated), musky and sensual, bold and unapologetic. Verdict: Seraglio has a lot of promise, and under the almond I can smell something truly lovely and compelling. But there's simply too much almond, and one-note dominant blends are a bit boring. If only it were more balanced!

I tried Gacela of the Dark Death early in my BPAL days, and to this day (after testing almost 300 scents) it is the only blend that has actually induced a violent gut response in me. I can't explain why I responded so primally. All I can say is, it is absolutely, hellishly black, like a black hole of scent (indeed, I have no words to describe how it smells -- I can't even associate it with other blends), and that is incredibly off-putting and horrific to me. I won't wear it. And I hope I never encounter a scent like this, ever.

Sniffed: Deep, glowing, slightly sticky resin. Reminds me of Penitence (my gold standard for pure light incense). On skin: If Penitence and Cairo had a child, it would smell like this. Khephra is a combination of the deep, full-bodied incense of Penitence, and the slightly sticky, citrus-bright kyphi resin of Cairo, all in a lighter and gentler package. This is a simple, yet well-rounded scent that doesn't morph much. Occasionally the tart citrussy note threatens to sour and overwhelm everything, but this morphs in and out, and the scent overall holds onto its resinous base. (I couldn't say the same for Cairo, which turned thin and sour nasty over time.) I've tried both Ra and Khephra, and both blends definitely evoke their respective stations of the sun. Khephra is a bright, sun-sharp citrus heart surrounded by deep, gentle incense; reminiscent of the midnight sun, clear yet gently radiant. Colour impression is a dark, liquid gold-brown with a gently glowing golden heart. Verdict: If you like light incense such as Penitence, Midnight Mass and Philosopher in Meditation, Khephra is a variant on the same theme. I like it, but there are other incense blends that I prefer to wear, so this is unlikely to see much action on my skin.

Sniffed: Bright, pure and clear. A slightly dusty, citrus scent. On skin: I'm not good at figuring out notes without a list, but I think Ra majors on citrus and resins. At least, I'm smelling notes that remind me of the bright, intense clarity (but not tartness or juiciness) of citrus, plus the slightly dusty dryness of amber, and the depth and body of other resins. This is a clear and limpid scent, simple and clean, but also grounded, not bold or high-pitched. A constant scent that doesn't morph on my skin. Ra seems like a gentler, clearer version of Kathmandu (a similar bright and powdery blend), and is similar to Summer's Last Will and Testament (albeit purer and less green). It definitely evokes the first virgin, brilliant rays of the dawning sun, rising up into a cloudless early morning sky. Verdict: I've tried both Ra and Khephra, and both definitely embody their respective stations of the sun. Not only is Ra evocative, it also balances the depth of resins and the clarity of citrus, and is pleasant to wear. What a lovely blend that well embodies the dawning sun!

Sniffed: Rose and resins are the most obvious notes. Deep, full-bodied and sweet, with a luxurious feel. On skin: Three Brides is too complex to pick out individual notes, but I can generally smell sweet fruits and rich red florals grounded in full-bodied resins. A blend that I can imagine an Oriental woman wearing on her wedding day: wholly feminine, sensual, with an exotic, Oriental feel. It also puts me in mind of a royal bride: opulent, yet graceful and noble amidst her resplendence. The scent doesn't morph much, just becomes gentler and milder over time. Overall, a sensual, deep, exotic blend that captures the Salon image. Verdict: Another beautiful, complex Salon blend that I enjoyed wearing!

(First review in more than a year! This blend needs more love.) Rembrandt is my favourite Renaissance Classical Master. Of course I had to try this blend. Sniffed: Light, sweet incense reminiscent of Penitence. On skin: Philosopher in Meditation is full-bodied incense, clear yet deeply fragrant. It's virtually "Penitence Lite", albeit with an additional touch of sweetness from the kyphi (whereas Penitence is pure incense). Something slightly spicy emerges over time, a flash of brightness amidst the deep resins. Overall, a contemplative, cerebral blend, quite befitting the ambience (if not quite the appearance, IMHO) of the Salon image. Verdict: If you like gentle incense blends like Penitence and Midnight Mass, Philosopher in Meditation would fit the bill -- it is a pleasant, distinct variation on a familiar light pure incense base. I really love this, it's a keeper!

Reviewing the 2005 version. Sniffed: Light, sweet, gentle incense. On skin: This is a "Penitence-class" blend: fragrant, smooth incense, somewhat lighter than Penitence itself, and similar to Philosopher in Meditation. Midnight Mass is perhaps the lightest pure incense blend I've smelled: full-bodied yet gentle, a bit sticky in a resinous way, with a non-resin spicy sweetness possibly from florals or fruit. A very lovely, contemplative blend that doesn't change much on my skin. Colour impression is rich, pure gold with a slight red blush. Indeed, Midnight Mass is a devout, serene blend. It puts me in mind of quiet, prayerful meditation during a late night Vigil or Matins in a church. The Bible describes prayers as incense, and I imagine the scent of a prayer rising to Heaven would smell just like this blend. Verdict: While Midnight Mass is very similar to Penitence and Philosopher in Meditation, it's still a unique variation on light, pure incense, this time with a gently juicy, sweet heart. I love incense blends, and glad to add this to my collection!

Sniffed: Sweet vanilla, made mellow and cozy by the woods and balsam. On skin: Sugary vanilla infused in a deep, woody-resinous base. (No root beer for me, thankfully.) Simple, laid-back and comfortable, like a warm blanket or familiar worn-in clothes. Tombstone doesn't have much nuance or body, but what it is is really, really good. It's a sturdy, no-nonsense scent, and lasts long on my skin. It definitely evokes the "West" (with less "Wild") in Wild West: a tranquil frontier town, or a cowboy's simple life. Colour impression is a earthy, cozy brown cream, like old ivory or weathered leather. Tombstone is in the same sugar-vanilla family as Black Opal and Antique Lace, and would be the masculine version of vanilla (while the other two are more womanly). Verdict: I really love Tombstone! However, the vanilla is of the sugary variety, which is just a bit too sweet for me. I have other vanilla blends that I like much more, so I always end up overlooking this. Even so, it's a beautiful scent and another fine specimen of BPAL artistry!

Sniffed: Sweet, sugary vanilla with a fascinating stone-like coolness. On skin: An intriguing blend of vanilla and a cool, pleasant, inorganic note. What would be dry, powdery-sugary vanilla is smoothened and cooled by dark stone. A simple scent: pleasant and girly, but a bit mysterious and unconventional. Unfortunately my skin drinks it up, and it fades very quickly! Verdict: I really like BPAL's stone note, and Black Opal is a perfect harmonizing of two very disparate notes. Unfortunately, it is in the same sugar-vanilla family as Antique Lace and Tombstone -- and this vanilla variant is simply too sweet and sugary for me. I simply have other vanilla blends I like more, so I don't see myself wearing this much. Nevertheless, it's gorgeous, and if you like Antique Lace you should try out Black Opal!

Sniffed: A deep, mellow floral, mostly rose and moonflower (jasmine is discreet here). Maybe slightly honeyed, like honeysuckle? On skin: Nuit is a gentle, feminine floral: sweet, and soft, fuzzy without any edges. Full-bodied and grounded, yet also light and airy in a floral way. Quite blended and I can't pick out individual notes, although I can tell how they're all playing together. Jasmine tends to dominate blends, but it's playing nice here and blending well with the other notes. Nuit doesn't morph, and becomes gentler and milder over time. Colour impression is a shimmering, pearlescent cream-white. Verdict: A beautiful rendition of the Night Goddess. I'm somewhat reminded of the blend Eos, which is also a lovely, grounded floral and the Sun Goddess counterpart to Nuit.

Sniffed: Perfumy, bold white flowers. On skin: I was hoping Seraphim would major on the sandalwood and frankincense, but alas, it is all soft, airy, unapologetic white flowers. This wouldn't be a problem if the base notes were present to ground and deepen, but I couldn't smell them at all, just screaming florals. What's more, the wisteria (perhaps calla lily as well) is dominating, and I don't like it at all. Since it has no grounding, the scent burns off very quickly and ends up generically floral-fragrant. Verdict: I love angels, especially the depictions of Biblical seraphim, so I'm disappointed that I got none of my favourite notes in this blend, just nasty wisteria and lily without any depth. Not my kind of angels, alas...

On my skin, Dance of Death is very dry and dusty, like dessicated bones. Slightly woody, almost burnt. The notes list is familiar but I don't recognize how any of them are playing into the scent. Although this is way too dry and burnt for me, it's not as harsh as other similar blends; in fact, it has a bit of body, and a shadow of elegance and refinement beneath the dryness. Even so, I don't like Dance of Death and have already swapped it.

Wet on my skin, Hemlock is initially sharp and very bitter. This burns off quickly upon drydown and a light, juicy berry note emerges -- albeit laced with an undercurrent of bitter herbs. A fascinating, slightly sinister juxtaposition between sweet berry and bitter, dark herbs. Definitely evokes the poisonous herb, and I'm not a fan.

Sea air, kelp, and climbing vines, flame-singed cedarwood and juniper branches, cypress boughs, alder wood, violets, selino, parsley, glistritha, and white sage. Ogygia was a typical blue-green aquatic: watery, fruity-sweet and juicy, with a touch of crisp, grassy/seaweed greenness. Quite similar to Danube and Kiyohime Changes From A Serpent. Ultimately it was too much like other blue-green aquatic blends I already love.

Sniffed: Chamomile. Hmm, no vanilla whatsoever. On skin: Sachs is pure chamomile -- spicy, clear, brightly floral. While I like chamomile in concert with other notes, it's not so great by itself. I think the vanilla is grounding and softening the blend into something a bit more creamy, but I don't smell it at all, alas. Verdict: Disappointed; I wasn't looking for a one-note chamomile blend. Swaps! ETA Dec 2013: Now, much later, I've conclusively identified how bourbon vanilla smells like -- and I'm not overly fond of it. Sachs definitely had this very sweet, glowing quality, so I must have be smelling it here. It may have been mixed with chamomile, but the dislike I expressed in this review was actually towards bourbon vanilla. I don't have Sachs anymore to re-test, but this makes more sense now!

Sniffed: A nose-tingling herbal-floral! On skin: Sophia begins with a blast of herbal lavender notes, but quickly settles as the jasmine, musks and spices emerge and blend together. This is a full-bodied herbal-floral blend, sweet, soft without any edges, but with a herbal clarity. Feminine, yet elegant and a bit distant, definitely reminiscent of a thinking woman. Over time it softens into a jasmine-dominated generic floral perfume. Verdict: A lovely, elegant feminine blend, but leaves me rather indifferent.

Love-in-idleness is a name for the pansy. Sniffed: A floral with a strong herbal presence, cool and subdued. On skin: This is a herbal/floral scent: sweet, clear, slightly green and sharp. Thankfully the florals overcome any potential astringency from the herbal notes. I'm not good with picking out notes without a list, so I'm not sure what florals are in here, but they are gentle and discreet. And, most strikingly, chilly without being mentholic or evergreen. Indeed, Love-in-Idleness reminds me of a pale maiden, cool, aloof, distant, and sad with longing. She seems very far away, unreachable in all senses. The blend becomes cooler and a bit watery over time, and fades very quickly. Colour impression is a pale, watery cyan-green, edged with black. I also did get a vision of a pale lady dressed in white, reclining on a divan surrounded by blue-green and black veils, staring off into the distance. Her surroundings are so subdued and cool that she seems to glow white. Verdict: Even though I won't wear this much, Love-in-Idleness is a truly beautiful, evocative scent. One of the few blends which gives me a visual impression apart from colour. I'd say this is a floral blend that may appeal to non-floral lovers. Very, very lovely!

Sniffed: Dry and cool, woody but tempered by herbal notes. On skin: The cedar comes out in greater force, but thankfully the sharp-woods edge is softened by the bay and sage, which add a green, herbal brightness to what would otherwise be pure woodiness. Lear is quite simple and doesn't morph much, a tempered, introspective woody blend. It definitely evokes the Shakespearean character, a king in the twilight of life, whose edges have been worn and softened over the years. Verdict: Lear is too woody for me, but I'm glad I got to test another specimen of BPAL artistry!

Sniffed: A lush, green herbal, with hints of berry. Slightly bitter. On skin: Hmm, initial skin impression isn't so good. Lysander starts off quite green and bitter, no sweetness at all, unlike anything else I've smelled. I'm guessing it's the myrtle. But after drydown, the bitterness recedes and some sweetness (probably from the musk and blackberry leaf) emerges. Now it's much better, but I can't tell which notes are contributing. Overall, Lysander is a masculine green-herbal blend; it puts me in mind of green leafy vines, or a grassy clearing in a lush, verdant, green forest. Colour impression is shimmering hunter green. Verdict: Even though Lysander ends up quite pleasant, I really don't like my initial impressions and won't wear it much.

BPAL across the note spectrum, linking blends to each other. -- Stone/Leather/Inorganic Niflheim ~ Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice ~ The Apple of Sodom ~ The Phoenix in Summer ~ The Isles of Demons ~/~ Whip ~ VILF ~ Clermont ~ Clockwork Couture: Male -- Metallic The Robotic Scarab ~ Mechanical Phoenix ~ Aelopile (distantly) -- Parchment/Paper Mr. Ibis ~ Philologus ~ Dee (heavy) ~ U Mutter Museum(? balsamic) -- Ozone Lightning (pure) ~ Tempest (pure) ~ Tin Foil Hat (metallic) ~ Parsifal (floral) ~ Thunderbird (green) ~/~ Sea of Glass ~ Archangel Winter ~ Thunder Moon -- Blue-Green Aquatic Selkie ~ Long Night Moon (yellow Selkie) ~ Kiyohime Changes From A Serpent (green Selkie) ~ Ogygia ~ Calico Jack ~ The Festival of Anuket ~ Water Phoenix -- Floral Aquatic Danube ~ Water of Notre Dame ~ Moon Rose ~ 51 ~ Dirty(? retest) ~ The Zieba Tree ~/~ The Lady of Shalott ~ R'lyeh ~ Szepasszony -- Other Aquatic (incense-aquatic) Kumari Kandam ~ The Phoenix in Winter (KK dupe) ~ Cloister Graveyard in the Snow (KK Lite) ~/~ (milky aquatic) The Sea Foams Milk ~ Y'ha-nthlei -- Mint Dark Chocolate, Lime and Chocolate Mint ~ The Coil ~ Lady Amalthea ~ Snow White ~ Pink Snowballs ~ Tin Phoenix ~ Ded Moroz ~ Hypothermia ~ Green Tree Viper -- Brown-Grassy Beer From the Marsh Woman's Brewery ~ The Little Sparrow ~/~ (amber) The Miller's Daughter -- Green-Grassy/Foresty (grass) Envy ~ Mag Mell ~ The Phoenix in Spring ~/~ (forest/meadow) Moon of Small Spirits ~ The Carpathian Mountains ~ The Little Bird ~ The Darkling Thrush ~ Glasgow ~ Ochosi (milky) -- Pure Evergreen (purer) Yule ~ Libertarian ~ The Snow Storm ~ The Shivering Boy (Snow Storm + grape) ~/~ (sweet snowy) Winter-Time ~ The Waltz of the Snowflakes ~/~ (darker/complex) Black Forest ~ Golden Priapus -- Leafy (wet) Rose Red ~ Nocnitsa ~ Ulalume ~ Nothing Gold Can Stay ~ Caliban ~ Earth Phoenix ~/~ (dry) The Jersey Devil (green) ~ Lysander (?)(dark) -- Tea Shanghai ~ Kumiho ~ Ehecatl ~ Holiday Moon ~ Aizen-Myoo ~ White Rabbit ~ The Dormouse -- Herbal/Floral (more herbal) Hemlock ~ Love-in-Idleness ~ There's A Certain Slant of Light ~ Cold Moon ~/~ Liberty ~ Tabella ~ Defututa ~/~ (more floral) Blue Moon 2007 ~ Blue Moon 2009: Brian's Interpretation ~ Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse ~ Grandmother of Ghosts ~ Moonshine and Mist -- Watery "Green" Floral (watery) Amsterdam ~ Helena ~ Endymion ~ Viola ~/~ (musky) Rozpustnica ~ Vechernyaya -- Light, "White" Floral (white & screaming) Seraphim ~ Tiki Princess(? coconut?) ~ Lorelei ~ The Lady of Shalott ~/~ (not so loud) Utrennyaya ~ Sanctus ~ The Ghost ~ Melancholia -- Rich "Red/Yellow/Jasmine" Floral [red] The Ecstasy of St. Theresa ~ All Saints' (nutty EoST) ~ Lady Lilith ~/~ [yellow/other florals] Hermia ~ Nuit ~ Sophia ~/~ [jasmine] Moscow ~ Zorya ~ Rapture ~ Dove's Heart ~ Kitsune-Tsuki ~/~ (musky) Eos ~ Vasilissa ~ Tamamo-no-Mae -- Rose Rose Cross (pure) ~ Peacock Queen (pure) ~ Cicuta (adulterated) ~ Vamp.Goth (leather) ~ Lucy's Kiss (spice) ~ Othello (spice) ~ Abhisarika (spice/musk) ~ Spellbound (dark) ~ The Dole of the King's Daughter (watery) ~/~ (resinous) The Last Rose of Summer ~ Parlement of Foules ~ Shadowless Like Silence -- Florals & Others [incense/resin] Three Brides ~ Gypsy Queen ~ Diable en Boîte ~ Ashlultum ~ Inez ~/~ [spiced] Baghdad ~ Mama-ji ~ Bathsheba -- Berry-Spice Bordello ~ Florence ~ Kaidan ~ Kabuki (red musk) ~/~ Berry Moon 2011(?) -- Pure Spice/Nutty Silk Road ~ Red Phoenix ~ The Dodo ~ Bakeneko ~ Pink Mood ~ Plunder ~/~ Seraglio ~ Cristina -- Fruity Floral Peacocks ~ La Vague ~ Hungry Ghost Moon ~ Kindly Moon ~ Pomegranate I ~ Pomegranate V -- Mostly Fruity (purer) Squirting Cucumber ~ Embalming Fluid ~ Bess ~ Manhattan ~ Death on a Pale Horse ~ Kuang Shi ~ Tanuki ~ Aizen-Myoo ~ Vixen ~ Khrysee ~ Pomegranate II ~/~ (mixed/heavier) Transeo ~ Paramatman ~ Copper Phoenix ~ Corazon ~ Standing Female Nude ~ Changing the Shadows(?) ~ Harlequin & Columbine ~ Pomegranate III ~ Pomegranate IV ~ Pumpkin Queen -- Purely Sweet (berry) Whoop ~ The Phantom Calliope ~/~ (fig) Nonae Caprotina ~ Carnal ~/~ (coconut) Black Pearl (pure) ~ Paduan Killer Swarm (light) ~ Lamia (dark) -- Cream/Milk Katrina van Tassel ~ Victorian Rose Milk v1 ~ Love's Philosophy ~ Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge ~ Obatala -- Sugary Antique Lace ~ Black Lace ~ Tattered Lace ~ Black Opal ~ Dorian ~ The First of the Three Spirits ~ Boo ~ Velvet Unicorn ~ The Kingdom of Sweets ~ Enraged Bunny Musk ~ Tombstone ~ Clockwork Couture: Female -- Creamy Vanilla Snake Oil (spiced) ~ Vixen (SO Lite, initially) ~ The Antikythera Mechanism (dark) ~ Liz (smoky) ~ Haloes (light) ~ Lyonesse (Haloes + watery) ~ Under the Harvest Moon -- Chocolate/Cocoa (light) Bliss ~ Velvet ~ Gelt ~ El Dia de los Reyes ~/~ (dark) Dark Chocolate, Lime and Chocolate Mint ~ How Doth the Little Crocodile ~ Tezcatlipoca ~ Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp ~ Boomslang ~ 13: Aug 2010 -- Light Foodie Samhain ~ Blue Pumpkin Floss ~ Jack ~/~ The Soldier ~ Red Lantern ~ Red Lace ~/~ (coffee) Pumpkin Latte ~ Miskatonic University -- Heavy Gourmand Chanukkiyah ~ The Witch's Repast -- Honey (and BAD!) Jezebel ~ Eve ~ O ~ Anubis ~ Mictecacihuatl ~ Mad Kate ~ Blood Kiss ~ Pink Phoenix -- Light Pure Incense/"Penitence class": Penitence ~ Philosopher in Meditation (Penit Lite) ~ Midnight Mass ~ Hygeia ~/~ Cairo ~ Khephra -- Dark Pure Incense/"Cathedral class": Cathedral ~ Valentine of Rome ~ Sunbird ~ Anne Bonny (patchouli) -- Mostly Resinous (sweet) Heavenly Love and Earthly Love ~ Jacob's Ladder ~/~ (herbal) No. 93 Engine ~ Nefertiti ~/~ (miscellaneous/can't place) Silver Phoenix ~ Quicksilver Phoenix ~ Tzadikim Nistarim -- Patchouli Banshee Beat ~ Vespillo ~ Imp ~ Omen ~ Mantis ~/~ Masquerade ~ The Clod and the Pebble ~ Rakshasa -- Vetiver Santa Muerte ~ A Golden Idol ~ Love's Torments ~ Hurricane ~ The Forest Reverie -- Dragon's Blood Blood Rose ~ Dragon's Musk ~ Dragon's Hide ~ Dragon's Bone ~ Dragon's Reverie ~ Wildfire(?) -- Bright and Dusty Kathmandu ~ The Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair ~/~ (maybe?) Vampire Tears ~ The Great Sword of War -- Bright and Smooth Ra ~ Summer's Last Will and Testament ~ Sheol (darker) -- Dark and Dusty Schwarzer Mond ~ Voodoo ~ The Velvets ~/~ Dance of Death ~ Interfector -- Dark and Smooth Tombeur ~/~ Luna Negra ~ Wings of Azrael ~ Czernobog ~ Phantom ~/~ Thanatos ~ Silenti ~/~ Hades ~ Medea ~ On Darkness ~/~ Oblivion ~ Misericordia -- Skin Musk/Fur Whoso List to Hunt ~ Coyote ~ Ivanushka ~ Fledgling Raptor Moon -- Musky-Resinous Snake Charmer (incense) ~ WILF (snuggly) -- Red Musk Scherezade (light spice) ~ Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller (light berry) ~ Countess Willie (deep berry) ~ War (patchouli) ~ The Arbor (dark floral) ~ Midnight Kiss(?) -- Light Woods [smooth] Wildfire ~ Libertine ~ Belle Vinu ~ The School (morpher - aquatic too?) ~/~ [dusty] Aziraphale ~ Dragon's Bone ~ Wood Phoenix -- Dark Woods [smooth] The Scales of Deprivation(?) ~ Carceri d'Invenzione ~ Herr Drosselmeyer ~/~ [dusty] Lear ~ Magus -- UNCATEGORIZED Touched Twice ~ Zephyr ~ Morocco ~ The Haunted Palace

Sniffed: Light, watery, green tea, very much like Holiday Moon, Ehecatl and Shanghai. On skin: A definitive green tea blend: light, clear, refreshing, watery-green, with a slight bite from the ginger. Kumiho falls somewhere between Ehecatl and Holiday Moon -- less tart than Ehecatl, but brighter and sharper than Holiday Moon (the smoothest and lushest of all the green tea blends I've tried). Kumiho is a simple, pretty watery-green blend that walks the line perfectly and doesn't go high-pitched or citrus-sour. Colour impression is the pale, clear yellow-green of a cup of matcha. Verdict: Holiday Moon is still my green tea first love, but Kumiho is very beautiful in its simplicity, an exemplary specimen of a green tea blend.