Ashenrook

Just got this from the most recent Brick and Mortar! In the Bottle I pick out the smell of the sweet wine, mulling spices, and pumpkin. There's also some apple in there too! Yummy. On Skin: Wet ...Oh no. It seems that this doesn't work as nicely as I thought it did when I tested it at the Lunacy. I guess too many scents mixed/conflicted with it, perhaps. It's very sweet...and very fake smelling. Like cheap autumn punch. All I get is sweet wine, mulling spices, pumpkin, and...something else. Grapes, I think. On Skin: Dry There's no ivy or flowers here... Not even woodsmoke. Only spices and cheap punch. Afternotes Spices. While it's not strong, thankfully, it's just nothing but. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I'd give this a C. It's unfortunate, really. This one seemed to have so much potential! But I am afraid I'm not a fan.

I will admit I was drawn to this because of the promise of violets, dogwood, cedar, and primrose... But if my forum handle is any clue, I like crows and ravens. So...that might of had a hand in this as well. *cough* In the Bottle Musky black violet with cedar. Ooo, I am excited! On Skin: Wet I must have fallen face first into a snowdrift in Siberia, or something, because I think the mint in this gave my nose frostbite! Right now, it's nothing but frigid evergreen, with the barest hint of cedar. I will admit... I was beginning to panic when I noticed that the evergreen was so prevalent on me, because that's usually a sure sign that it is going to overtake EVERYTHING or I am going to amp it to ridiculous proportions and have a cloud of pine sol following me around. Thankfully... I was wrong. The evergreen did not overrun everything, but, in fact, only got better. It was not a fake smelling tree like that in Troll, but I think this is where Crow Moon kicks me into nostalgia mode. It reminds me of when I was little, living in Flagstaff, when my family would go out to the forest to cut down our own Christmas tree. On Skin: Dry Finally, I am starting to notice the Crow. The black violet must be what is associated with it, but since my nose was experiencing freezer burn I had a hard time detecting it at first. Though... I wouldn't consider that a bad thing. Here's why. This scent really does make you feel like you were dropped in the middle of this dark, murky, forest that is covered with permafrost. You can hear the crows, but you can't see them. It's now at this time that I look up to the boughs above me and notice a pair of beady little eyes peeking down at me. The fluff of the feathers, signified by the white musk, accompanies the murky beauty of the black violet. Minutes later, the scent actually starts to thaw. The mint becomes more cool and watery instead of biting, the flowers hidden in the background are starting to bloom as the musk and violet become a trifle more prominent. Afternotes As many people said about this... It has turned into spring's first thaw. The evergreens and snow are still there, as is the cedar, but now instead of a deep and murky green scent it is now slowly brightening into something more soft and gentle. I smell the dogwood and primrose, nestled amongst the other flowers. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I'd give this a B+. Crow Moon is a very complex, chilly, deep green scent...and a pretty amazing morpher. While it does not do anything severe, it presents a very convincing tapestry, if my rambling is any clue. However, the only reason it is getting a B+ right now is because I feel this is the wrong time of year to wear this and it, actually, gave me a bad bout of seasonal displacement. I feel if I wore this in, say, November or December, it'd be just perfect. So I just might have to revisit this in the proper season. Until then, I am definitely keeping this one.

Got this as a sniffy recently and it had just a bit for a test! In the Bottle Leather and leaves! Oh boy. I love those. On Skin: Wet I will admit. When I gave this a good sniff, I couldn't help but say "Dawww..." in response. It really does evoke the imagery of a fluffy little deer. Just this lovely fluffy and leathery smell. On Skin: Dry ...Crap! Something has taken a wrong turn on me and poor little Ivanushka has reached critical fluff. And by that, I mean turn to baby powder. Afternotes After I washed my hands off a bit, I peeled away some of the talc smell and it was nice and pretty again. ...Until it started turning back to talc. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I'd give this a C. This little roebuck did not like me at all, it seems, which is a shame because I really loved it at the beginning. Had it stayed somewhat constant, I'd happily hunt down an actual bottle of this. But, alas... I will have to let this little deer go free.

In the Bottle I smell wax, goat milk, and...something I'm not sure of. I want to say the 'wind' note. On Skin: Wet Lots and lots of beeswax and milk. Though it's not bad at all, just... that's all I smell. The scent isn't very strong and I don't feel like I am amping anything. Good things since I've never tried anything from BPAL with a wax or milk note. On Skin: Dry I'm starting to smell a bit of this mint that people are talking about. And I will admit, it does give me the feeling of a cold gust of winter's wind in this scent. Oddly, no cinnamon. Though, this is good in this case since I amp cinnamon a ton. The blackberry...it teases me. I can detect a sharpness in the oil that clearly is nothing related to a wind or snow note. It's there... but I can't -smell- it. Afternotes Just lovely soft beeswax and milk. But...that's about it. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I'd give this a C+. I was debating on giving this a B since it was actually pleasant but... the blackberry. I found myself wanting to smell it so badly that I was really disappointed in not getting to enjoy it. It's like how Rose Cross was with me since I got all rose and no frankincense. So while the milk and wax is nice and all... it feels to be an almost "hollow" warm scent without the berry. If that makes sense... Probably a more blunt way of putting it would be... Candles Moon had no soul on me.

Snuck a little peek from the decant I ordered for a friend. >.> In the Bottle Lots of resins and...wood? I didn't know there was wood in here. It's a very dry lovely smelling one, though. *looks at the notes* I guess that's the boswellia. On Skin: Wet What I'm reminded of instantly? Cathedral. Like others have said, too, only that it's its classier cousin. It's less musty, more sweet and refined due to the rose — a rose that is, thankfully, not overpowering. It is subtle and elegant. On Skin: Dry The spice of the galbanum is starting to come out a little bit, the rose fading away for the time being. I still smell the copal and myrrh (and just a hint of the boswellia). Afternotes Just a subtle, but beautiful, rosy spice nestled in this wonderful wooden box. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this a B. This is something I would gladly have an imp of, but I can't see myself owning a bottle. However, unlike my friend, I am a lot less about the incense and spice. (I do like it, though) Plus, it doesn't help that I instantly drew a comparision to Cathedral, so it had pretty high standards to live up to. Though I'm pretty sure my friend will like this! >_>

I accidentally got a drop of this on my finger when sneaking a sniff of an imp I ordered for a friend. Sooo, I decided to rub that drop onto my wrist. In the Bottle Huh. It almost smells like black top asphalt with spice on it. On Skin: Wet Well, I forgot that there was cinnamon in this. I was promptly reminded! Lordie, I amp cinnamon like no one's business... On Skin: Dry Cinnamon, cinnamon, aaaand more cinnamon. Afternotes The cinnamon is still very much present, to the point where I can't smell any clove and, surprisingly, no pine sap. The vanilla, however, I can smell just a tiny bit of. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this a D-. Cinnamon and me just don't get along, apparently. : /

In the Bottle Wet lilies with a touch of citrus. On Skin: Wet It...almost smells like glass cleaner. I guess this is translating a little too literally on me. Thankfully it doesn't last long and it starts turning into this ozone-y citrus smell. Not...entirely unpleasant, but nothing grand. On Skin: Dry The citrus is going away and the smell of wet flowers, like lily of the valley and I'm guessing snowdrop, start to come into play. I'm rather divided on this... It is a very clean smell, yes, but I am starting to agree with some other posters that it seems a little "too clean". It is more like Sea of Glass is Sea of Fabric Softener. You know that airy sort of soft floral scent those drier sheets love to use. It's that. Afternotes It's becoming even more powdery. Not baby powder-y, no, but powdery. It's like the Sea of Glass just up and turned into dust, or something. I still smell like I just came out of the drying machine. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this a C. Sea of Glass is a very pretty and clean scent, but I can't say I'm a huge fan of smelling like laundry fabric softener. I was hoping it would have that clear and icy feel that Lady of Shalott has with its water-soaked gardenias, but no such luck...

In the Bottle Hmmm... Resins. The copal and labdanum, no doubt. But there's a smell that I just can't seem to place... it almost smells fruity, but I'm pretty darned sure it's not a fruit. On Skin: Wet ...What in the. Okay, I smell a lot of familiar scents, namely florals, like the gladiola and the lily. Oddly, there's no real resins yet, but there is the sense that something is being burned... like incense. Well, that must be the resins then... But they are, uh, oddly spiked with something. That fruit smell I mentioned is here and it is like I just stepped into a metaphysical store that is burning cherry coughdrop scented incense. Not exactly pleasant... While it's not cloying like Jezebel was on me, it's not exactly subtle. Being there's only one note I have yet to have interacted with until now, it's safe to say that it's the heliotrope that is acting up on me. And judging from it being nicknamed the "cherry pie plant", I'd say it's a good assumption... On Skin: Dry Well... the Heliotrope is starting to back off a little and it is taking on a very different tone. The shop is gone and replaced with...a retirement home. Yes, Sheol has taken on this very distinct old lady smell to me, but...not the good kind (the sort with the classy old fashioned flowers and what not). No, this smells like medication, baby powder, and...dare I say...death. While the latter is kind of apt for the theme of Sheol, I do not want to smell like Grandma's Last Stand. Afternotes Still much the same, but now the heliotrope is starting to get feisty again. And by feisty, I mean acrid. Alas... I think I have made a new floral enemy today. *grimaces and ticks off Heliotrope on my "DO NOT WANT" scent note list* Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this a D. At first I wanted to give Sheol a C, or perhaps even a C-, but... no. The more I sniff at my wrist, the more severely I scrunch up my nose with disgust. The heliotrope just threw a wrench into the gears and really mucked this up for me. I'm really sad at this because it had so much going for it for me. Resins? Lily? Iris? God yes. But no... Sheol and I were not meant to be.

I just recently inherited Nachtwulf's bottle of #49 and here's what I got! In the Bottle Frankincense and...bay rum? It's very wet and there's something almost metallic in it. It reminds me of some masculine after shave, complete with straight razor. On Skin: Wet Frankincense is the forerunner in all of this, of course, and about five minutes in it starts to take on that wet quality again. I really do think it is bay rum, but the imagery that comes to mind is a sword being dipped in fresh cold water. On Skin: Dry About thirty minutes later, I started picking up something earthy, but clearly plant-ish. I want to say oakmoss. There is also something lingering in the background that has some sort of spice in it...and it's dusty and warm. Sandalwood? I suspect there's also a hint of clove in it. Afternotes Frankincense, namely, but the faint spicy wood dust lingers behind it. The wet and metallic notes are gone, as far as I can tell. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this a B-. Despite the grade, I actually like this scent quite a bit. Though, like The Bow and Crown of Conquest, I just...don't see myself wearing it. On me, it is irredeemably masculine and I struggle with the idea of wearing this often, if at all. But overall this scent, to me, seemed very knightly. If I were to dub this with a name it would be along the lines of "King Arthur" or "Excalibur" because of the sacred resin, the almost regal feel of the scent, and that cool metallic scent... As if you were being presented the blade from the Lady of the Lake herself.

Retroactive review, go! In the Bottle Hmmm... Sharp wood, cedar no doubt, and dust. There's also a hint of the resins behind it all. On Skin: Wet Oh my goodness... It is like I just curled up for a nap on some well-worn pew. Warm and gentle wood wreathed with dust. It is all very wonderful and comforting. There's no sign of the resins yet, but even then... This is glorious. On Skin: Dry About thirty minutes after application the resins started to peek through, the smell of sacred incense mingling with the dust. I...I think I'm in love. Afternotes Cathedral lingers a long time on me and every single minute is just absolutely fantastic. I would not change a thing about it. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale, I would have to give this an A, possibly even an A+. Cathedral, along with Waters of Notre Dame, has become a mainstay in my before bed scents (for those days that I'd rather have something more earthy). But even then, unlike Waters, I'd happily wear Cathedral out and about. And I have done so, repeatedly, at work. It's a good sign when I'm constantly sniffing at my wrist, grinning to myself like a fool. Thankfully no one else is around to see this. *cough*

In the Bottle Beautiful violet with tea rose in the background. Very nice. On Skin: Wet You know... It's funny. I love rose. I love violet. Therefore, I should love Marie. I...am not sure if that is the case in the end. Both rose and violet are very prominent scents and it feels like the two are just trying to overpower one another and it makes just... a mess on my skin. Slightly after the beginning of the wet phase, the oil goes plastic-y on me, for some reason, before the battle between rose and violet finally is won by the former. There's not a whiff of violet for a long time, after this, oddly enough. On Skin: Dry For a good hour after application, Marie is still predominantly rose. The violet is still in hiding. Afternotes A few hours after application, the violet starts to, at last, return. It's...somewhat pleasant, I will admit. But I am still overwhelmed by how the scent, in general, played out before hand. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a C. While it is not absolutely horrid, I am not in love with Marie. While I still absolutely love rose and violet, I just feel that they're too much of a show-stealer on me without other elements to ground them.

In the Bottle Warm rose with a little bit of frankincense mustiness. On Skin: Wet Mmmm. Lovely. At first I am more inclined to say that this is rose water that I'm smelling, but it started to turn out to be not so wet and more fresh and green. Like a beautiful pink rose, new in-bloom. On Skin: Dry Still lots and lots of lovely rose. However... I've not smelled one whiff of frankincense outside of the bottle. I have a feeling that the case with that will be that it'll show up hours later when the perfume has just about vanished. Afternotes Nope... Still no frankincense, even after a hour. Just rose, rose, and more rose. Don't get me wrong. I love rose. But I'm kinda sad that I missed out on the possibility of frankincense. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a B-. This is for two reasons, while I really do love the scent and I will happily keep, and use, the imp... 1) I can't see myself wearing this scent out and about. The rose water-like smell just screams after-bath to me. And even then, there are other go-to scents like Waters of Notre Dame and Rome that I'd likely use first. 2) Being there was supposed to be frankincense in this, and I didn't get any, this was more of a let down than a pleasant surprise (as in the case with Fledgling Raptor Moon and being all "Hey! The clove and patchouli don't go crazy on me! Sweet!"). So since Rose Cross was distinctly lacking this scent, it affects my overall score.

And this marks the last review of the frimps I was given at July's Brick and Mortar sale. In the Bottle Mmm... sweet herbs wreathed with delicate blossoms. It does have a bit of a medicinal oil vibe to it, but it's very pleasant. On Skin: Wet It's very fresh and lovely, but it's starting to remind me of a more "pure" and uplifting version of Leanan Sidhe. That being said, I thought "Man...this would make a fantastic soap". It's not soapy, per se, but it reminds me of soap. Now, this is where my review starts to falter... I've never smelled a linden blossom note before so I have no idea if the flowers I'm smelling are indeed the linden or the white flowers. On Skin: Dry Still very sweet, but it's more about the flowers (which, at this point, I'm ASSUMING is the Linden). The sweet herbs are becoming increasingly distant by the minute. Afternotes ...Odd. The sweet herbs are back. It's like it reversed with the flowers being in the background and the herbs at the forefront. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a B-. While it was given the same ranking at Leanan Sidhe, I'd have to say I like this a tiny bit better. But it's just not something I'd wear... A soap of this, however...

Second to last of the frimps I was given at the last Brick and Mortar sale. One that I managed to somehow drop and have the remnants spill on a bag of mine. ...Oh well? >.> In the Bottle Plums and spices. I am not a huge fan of fruity scents, but... Hnnn. I am not certain about this, but I shall press on! On Skin: Wet Oh dear... Okay, while this did not turn into a disaster like Jezebel did on me, I kinda wasn't expecting this. It's like I just went into Bath and Body Works, found the motherlode of all their Christmas scents, and fell into a vat of it. That's really it. I fell face first into Christmas. While this probably wouldn't be a bad thing in the winter, feeling that way in August is a little unsettling. Plums, more plums, and whoa hello spices. I can pick out a LITTLE bit of carnation wedged in the back, though. The musk is, surprisingly, MIA. On Skin: Dry Still much the same, but I am amping the spices more than plum. Still no musk. Weird, considering that musk is terribly apparent on me, usually. Afternotes Still the same, but the throw is about "medium", but the staying power on me is rather paltry. Four to five hours, at best. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a C. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. But the seasonal displacement it gave me made it really difficult for me to actually judge it accordingly... Perhaps if I tried this again (with a new imp, heh...) in the winter I might change my mind?

... His ofrenda is the soft shea he shares with Obatala, forest herbs, and sprucewood arrow shafts. In the Bottle Soft forest-y greenery with...milk? On Skin: Wet This is a very odd scent... Not a bad one, but odd none the less. Smelling this brings a strange visual to mind, so...bear with me for a moment. It's like I just stepped into an entire forest...made out of shea butter. Like, literally the trees are made out of shea butter, but have herbs and wood switches jammed into them. I don't know either. @_@ On Skin: Dry It's a surprisingly "fluffy" scent still. There's something I can't quite put my finger on about the combination of these forest herbs and the shea butter, but it strikes me as masculine. Afternotes Shea butter and wood. Kinda nice, but... I still find myself not incredibly impressed by it. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a B-. Compared to the last Excolo scent I tried, Obatala, Ochosi did not seem to have nearly as much personality on me – which is a shame considering I liked the idea of it very much. It's just that darned skin chemistry that didn't make this a match made in heaven like I was hoping.

In the Bottle It's surprisingly...sweet. Sweet, liquidy, and kissed by lilies. On Skin: Wet It's all crocus – which were doused by cool water. The lilies don't really appear right away, but when they do I find myself...mixed. I am not sure what is going on but I find myself going "meh" when in regards to this scent, thus far. On Skin: Dry That berry scent that people keep speaking of actually manifests and, once again, I find myself unsure of what to really think of this. Afternotes Nothing really worth putting down. Just lilies and berries. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a...C+? I would give it a B, but since I find myself so ambivalent towards this scent, yet none of the desire to investigate it further like I have recently with Lady of Shalott, I can't really bring myself to do so. Plus I cannot say that I would ever have the desire to get another imp of this, should it run out.

Another one of the frimps I got in my purchase bag from the last Brick and Mortar sale. In the Bottle Very clear smelling – but not in terms of having no scent. It's hardly that. But the image of clear cold water comes to mind when smelling this in a bottle. Gardenia and the muguet are the most prominent. On Skin: Wet Mmmmm, gardenia. Bit by bit I get more muguet and white ginger. Very lovely and a blessed relief after having so much bad luck with testers as of late. On Skin: Dry Honestly, I'm a little disappointed I'm not picking out more of the water notes. Still lots of lovely gardenia, though. Afternotes Still no waternotes, but this oil is pretty long lasting on me. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a B. The reason I say this is because of two things... First, there was something about this scent that didn't quite resonate me. Nothing turned foul or plasticy on me, but just nothing really jumped out and said "THIS SCENT IS FOR YOU". Lastly, I've actually worn this twice – both times I found myself not paying attention to any possible morphs since I was at work and distracted. So, honestly, I'll need to give this even further assessment – but for now the pending grade of "B" still stands.

Another one of the frimps I got in my purchase bag from the last Brick and Mortar sale. I will admit... I am, surprisingly hesitant on this blend. Sandalwood? You've my attention. Rose? Baited breath. Orange Blossom? ...Uh. Either that scent can be fantastic on me – or a fantastic failure. Honey? ...UHHHHH. That's another one that falls into Orange Blossom's category, but with more of a tendency to go bad. (Which makes me sad because I love the smell of honey.) Well, here goes nothing. In the Bottle Honey. Lots of honey. The orange blossom is very noticeable. Not unpleasant, but surprisingly potent. On Skin: Wet Oh. My. God. I think this is the fastest, and worst, reaction I have ever had with a BPAL scent due to body chemistry. It was all pleasantly, if not rather overwhelmingly, nothing but honey at first – but the moment, and I mean the moment, that the orange blossom came to play? Things went down hill and FAST. The honey and orange blossom got into a fist fight and yanked in poor sandalwood, making the whiff of rose run away crying. The result was this noxious stench that smelled like I was coated in bug spray, furniture polish, and then someone dumped a jar of burnt honey and baby powder on my head. On Skin: Dry Thank goodness it's starting to wear off... The noxious smell is starting to vanish gradually, leaving only the smell of baby powder and burnt honey. Afternotes A strong honey smell – And I mean honey. It's like I dipped my hands into it. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a F. Man... Sad day. I have been having terrible luck with florals recently!

This is one of the frimps I got in my purchase bag from the last Brick and Mortar sale! Let's see how it goes. In the Bottle ...Oh god. I smell the lotus. IT IS SO SWEET AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. Dare I go on? M-Maybe it will be one of those odd miracles that it just MIGHT work on me despite all odds? On Skin: Wet OH GOD I WAS WRONNNNG. Why did I pick this?! Ugh. I want to say there's something like plumeria in it, which I can get behind, but it's instantly made FOUL by my archnemesis the lotus. I am in hell right now – and hell smells like an old sock coated with too-sweet bubble gum dental mouthwash. Amber! CITRUS, EVEN! SAVE ME FROM LOTUS-Y DOOM! On Skin: Dry *Sob* Why have you both forsaken me?! Augh... It's not going away. No amber. No citrus. JUST LOTUS. Afternotes LOTUSSSSSSSSSS. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a FFFFFFFFFFFF. Not just a F, but a FFFFFFFFFFFF. While I doubt this would even beat Troll on most hated scent I've tried, it's...pretty darned close. Yeah... What I said before about me saying that I doubt I could ever truly hate a floral scent? I WAS WRONG.

I actually tried this at the recent Lunacy Brick and Mortar sale, but I never got around to actually reviewing it publicly. Time to remedy that. In the Bottle I can smell the white musk first and foremost, but I can pick out the white rose and the frangipani/plumeria. On Skin: Wet White musk...yep. It's one of those scents that can either be a tremendous success on me or just an outright failure. This, sadly, is the latter. It's just too powdery, too fake smelling, and it seems to overwhelm everything with its "dust". The ambrette seed is peeking through and... I don't know. I smell way too much musk, not enough of the other notes. On Skin: Dry I don't smell any of the vanilla, yet. I'm starting to get the orris, the white rose, and the honeysuckle. But it's just...smothered by the white musk on me. I am...starting to get really disappointed with this. Afternotes Musk, musk, musk, and more musk. The vanilla is still MIA on me. *Sigh* Oh well. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this a C-. The only reason this isn't in D country is because the floral notes that I did get under all the musk dust was nice. I don't think I can ever truly hate a floral scent, but... this one was just not for me at all. Which saddens me greatly since when I did read the note listing for Joyful Moon, I was all for it. It seemed like it went down a check list of all my favorite scents and put them in one delightful bottle, but...then the musk messed all of that up. Sorry, Joyful Moon. We were just not meant to be.

My first Lunacy scent! When I first saw the notes for this back in June, I didn't think too much of it. Clove? Patchouli? Oh dear, that sounds really not me... I was wrong! In the Bottle It's spicy, yet... subdued. There's a grassy smell to it that is cooling, so I'm guessing that's the bay. Other than that there's carnation, sandalwood, and a hint of clove. On Skin: Wet The clove and patchouli are somewhat prominent at first, but they are balanced and not overwhelming like they tend to be. They then become these faint back notes and instead you get this warm woodsy smell with a hint of carnation. There's also this odd...creaminess to it that I can't quite attribute to the bourbon vanilla. I think it's the massoia bark since it, supposedly, has a coconut-y scent. On Skin: Dry The sandalwood is becoming more prominent in all its toasty loveliness, though, oddly, I don't seem to detect much of the bourbon vanilla but the milky sweetness is there (which I'm darned sure isn't the massoia). I still smell clove and patchouli, which are, surprisingly, still playing nice on me while the carnation drops to the midground a bit. The coolness of the bay mingles with the sweetness of the massoia and there's a small 'bite' of something evergreen in the background (which must be the hinoki). Afternotes Still a lovely blend of toasted sandalwood, carnation, clove and patchouli – all wreathed in an implacable sweetness. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this an A! I was, truthfully, extremely surprised by this scent. There was so much spice and wood that I figured it would go all pear-shaped on me like perfumes of that sort tend to do, but the tempering with the bay, vanilla, and carnation brought enough a unity to it that appealed to my water-elemental nature. (Year of the Water Dog AND a Pisces? So many water signs...) Overall, I love this scent to pieces and I am very glad that I bought a bottle of this. It will likely be my go-to scent for this transitory period between summer and fall since I can't very well see myself wearing this in spring.

In the Bottle Green tea, punctuated by a floral scent – the lilac, I think. There's also hints of the white cedar milling around in the background. On Skin: Wet Oooo... Lilac. I was hoping it'd be one of the showcase notes in this because I do so love lilac. The green tea is right along with it, just as it was as I sniffed it in the bottle. Slowly the wisteria begins to manifest. Mmmm. So much love for this scent right now. On Skin: Dry I think I have found another new favorite note; White cedar. It has all the richness of actual cedar, but this is delicate and not threatening to kick my face in with an army boot like the regular sort tends to do. I'm starting to also pick up the lemon, but it's only a touch of it (which I am grateful for since lemon tends to go all lemon Pledge on me), and there is something spicy in the background... The "Chinese musk", perhaps? I almost want to say that there's some sort of cinnamon note in here... The osmanthus eventually shows, in all its delicateness, as the finishing touch to this wonderful bouquet. Afternotes Cordelia is still lingering rather strong on me, even after nine hours. But it is this gloriously subdued whiff of tea, lilac, and osmanthus. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this an A. Perhaps even an A+! There are just several things going absolutely right with this blend and it's one I would wear again in a heartbeat. The image it evokes with me is a Victorian tea house, complete with dry flowers, lace doilies, delicate china... all amidst a blooming English garden in a cool, but sunny, spring day. This scent might very well rival my absolute love and adoration of Black Dahlia.

In the Bottle It's sweet, but not overpoweringly so. I smell the tea and some sort of floral action brewing back there, namely involving the rose. On Skin: Wet Instantly carnation! It's gentle, sweet, and just a little bit of spice. The backing of this is re-enforced by the tea, making this quite the lovely little scent. On Skin: Dry The rose starts to manifest more at this point, but while it is more noticeable than the carnation at this point it doesn't overwhelm it like rose tends to do. The white tea note remains a constant presence, barely shifting. Afternotes Both the rose and carnation drop to the background, sweetening the everpresent white tea with richness and spice. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this an A. I am a tremendous lover of floral scents – especially if it has rose in it. However, thanks to scents like Maiden, I am beginning to fall deeper in love with carnation. It's just a wonderful little thing that adds a little bit of spice to a blend without having to run to the actual spice rack. This very well might be a 5ML for me eventually.

In the Bottle Coconut water! Yum. On Skin: Wet At first sniff? Suntan lotion, just like others say. However, that's not a bad scent, far from it, but it is definitely a scent that is associated with summer. For the first minute or so, it still seems very manufactured and false... But once it settles a little bit? It starts to unfurl a little and display that little 'tinge' of freshly cracked coconut meat just waiting to be eaten. This...is really making me thirsty and crave a pina colada like nothing else. My mouth is watering. I am also starting to detect a bit of the water note in the background and the milk note is starting to surface as well. I'm not sure what to make of the milk, really, but thus far it's behaving on me. I really hope it doesn't go the way of buttercream and get all weird. On Skin: Dry The water note is becoming more prominent now, making it smell sweet and cool. The milk has dropped back and is now blending with the shea and coconut meat. Afternotes Pretty much the same as the dry phase, only that the water note is a bit more prominent but it's nothing at all offensive. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give Obatala a B+. I really do like this scent, but it is a very situational one – as I'm sure much of you can probably agree with. It's something I could only rightly wear in summer and, even then, given I've seen plenty of other tropical coconut-based scents out there I am not sure this would be the one I'd default to. Though I will say that I am very impressed... this is the first BPAL scent I've worn that has managed to make my mouth water. Haha. But, anyway, if you are a huge fan of coconut and you want to revel in coconut-y bliss? Then this is definitely for you.

In the Bottle Men's cologne, at first sniff. But I can pick out the sage, the leather, and the musk once I give it another try. I don't smell any of the vanilla or floral notes that are in this, at the moment. On Skin: Wet Leather and musk, right off the bat. It still smells very cologne-y on me, like a brand my father used when I was a child. Once it settles a bit, I can smell the cedar and sage creeping in, tickling my nose (in a good way). The white musk gives all of these scents a dusty feel to them, like a stranger with no name who just came in off the trail riding a white horse. There is a deceptive softness to this blend, that is reassuring and inviting – but with a firm backing to it that makes it clear that no matter how kindly and soft this stranger appears, he's not to be trifled with. On Skin: Dry Ah, there's the vanilla...! The stranger's putting on the moves now. *eyebrow wiggle* And I'm just starting to pick out subtle hints of the carnation, but I have to search for it. The lavender is still M.I.A., but I hope that will change considering that I really love lavender. Afternotes Finally! There's the lavender...but it is very faint. Not that it's incredibly bad, because it, honestly, is fitting to this blend. The cedar and sage have dropped to the background now, letting the vanilla and carnation do the sweet talking. I do agree with others that TBCC is the more sophisticated brother to Tombstone, since the scent definitely evokes the image of the Old West with the dusty white musk, leather, and sage. But this one's no gunslinging brigand... this one's out looking for someone's soul today. Verdict On an American scholastic grading scale of A to F, A being best, I would give this an A. However... I really do like this scent, but, at this point, I am unsure if I would classify it as something I would personally wear. I would, however, be thrilled if I could lob this imp at a man and say "Put this on, you'll thank me later" because, boy, is it ever sexy. (Thanks for the suggestion, Little Bird!)