Rho

Preconceived notions: I almost bought a bottle of The Gorroble unsniffed because it sounded simply wonderful and the reviews were good. In the end, I decided to wait for a decant. Wet: Oh no! This goes on with a rush of hot cinnamon. I'm allergic to cinnamon and I just don't like anything that reminds me of it. Dry: I gave Gorroble a chance to mellow out, but I never really get marshmallows. It's totally a charred cinnamon sugar combo that would probably result with me in the hospital if it were real food and I ate it. It triggered a throat tightening reaction. Later: This went from being an unsniffed bottle purchase (almost) to being the first BPAL that I've ever scrubbed off. I'm floored by the fact that I didn't like it! I've worn other blends with cinnamon in them before, and although they're not my favorites, I can endure them, but this was just too much. So sad! Overall: There might be a really nice perfume in there, but I can't get past my allergy on this one. I have to give it a 1/5 for myself, but I am definitely not a fair judge of The Gorroble.

Tenebrous Love: a shivering white musk with vanilla-infused white cocoa, amber incense, and dead, dry leaves. Preconceived notions: I love white musk, and foodies, so I assume I'm going to really like Sonnet D'Automne. Due to my own preferences, I hope this is more sweet than leafy. Wet: A glow of autumn leaves. They aren't dead and dry like the description; they are still juicy and probably sticky. The white musk rises up gradually as this settles onto my skin. Dry: The leaves are farther away, but still perky. White musk is the strongest now, though it is sweeter than usual in this blend, probably thanks to the white cocoa. There is something that tickles my nose in here, and looking at the notes, it must be the amber incense, which is hiding somewhere in the middle of everything. I understand why other reviews are saying mint; there is something (or a combination of somethings) in here that smells like the white mint in Lady Amalthea. In fact, Sonnet reminds me of Lady Amalthea in general, though it's more buoyant thanks to the juicy leaves. The scent is evocative of feeling cold. The fragrance sends a shiver up my nose. It's definitely a white smell, and ever so slightly shrill. Later: Keeps sweetening up. The white musk endures, and reigns over the other notes from above. Overall: I think this is very good. It's a very beautiful, feminine scent for the season. 4/5

This was one of the imps I got in my first order, and probably the scent that got me interested in BPAL in the first place. When I got it several months ago, my untrained nose translated Kabuki as nothing but cherry nibs candy from start to finish. Several months later, I still can smell cherry nibs if I'm thinking about it, but Kabuki has a lot more going for it than I thought. Wet: The fragrance is an interesting subdued cherry, nestling on a minty anise base. The red musk is the kind I've come to love from BPAL, even though it smells slightly greasy on me. Dry: Similar to the wet phase, though the minty side of the anise comes through more. The mix of mint and red musk is so exotic to me. It's also pretty. Later: This fades away into a haze of anise and red musk. The cherry bows out several hours before the scent wears off. It feels elegant. This is a good example of a scent that I've changed my mind on over time. I really wasn't impressed with it at first, but now that I've come to like red musk, I think this is an enjoyable and unique oil. In particular, I think it's a fun alternative to Scheherazade, which I love. Overall: 4/5.

Brown Jenkin was one of the first BPALs I was interested in trying, but I haven't gotten around to wearing it until recently. Because I waited awhile to try it, this fragrance was different than I expected. Wet on my skin, I get a white smell from the sandalwood and coconut. Together, they give my throat a chilly, wintery feeling. I really wasn't expecting Brown Jenkin to be the kind of scent that can clear your sinuses. After it's had a chance to dry down and mellow out a bit, the musk envelops the edges of the scent, but nothing ever fills it out completely on my skin. It's like a doorframe, but the door is always open and that white smell is free to blow right in. Even the traces of incense that I catch seem to be hovering in the wind. I feel like I'm smelling a different Brown Jenkin than a lot of other reviewers. I definitely wouldn't describe it as warm or fuzzy, but it's still a nice comforting, quirky fragrance.

I decided to give this one a try because I'm really enjoying opium lately. The way the opium note works in this blend is much lighter than other ones I've tried. It's pretty and bouncy opium! The lily of the valley really pops out. It's a little roughly textured on me, like maybe the plant was ground up to get the fragrance out. As for vanilla, it's floating somewhere in the middle of everything else. It's not creamy or heavy enough to take Belle Epoque out of its "bouncy" vibe to me. It's just a light hint of vanilla, like there's an open bottle of extract sitting on the far side of the room. I get next to no mandarin after this dries. I think my skin absorbs it all. Finally, the red sandalwood is a gorgeous, refined base for all the rest of the fragrance. This is the element that makes me really like Belle Epoque. It's ever so slightly gritty, and adds the complexity I want to smell in a quality scent. The rest of the notes seem like they would just float away without the sandalwood on my chemistry. Let's try this kind of summary: Feminine/Masculine: This is quite ladylike, and radiates "prettiness." Young/Mature: I'd put Belle Epoque somewhere in the middle. The sandalwood and opium take it to a complex level, that's airy, but hints at something darker. Sweet/Bitter: Sweet, though not foody even though there's vanilla in there. Light/Heavy: Not the lightest of the light, but somewhat light. Vibes: Floral, refined. Overall: 4/5.

This one is so cozy! Wet, it starts off with some nice fluffy hazelnut and gradually dries into a peaceful, slightly foody, warm aura. The berries remain faint the whole way through, and I don't catch the carrot. On me, the hay is a background scent that provides more texture than anything. The staying power is weak. It was fading after three hours and there wasn't a trace of fragrance after six. All in all, a very pleasant, happy scent that's calming and enveloping. If it lasted longer, I'd consider seeking out more.

A match made in heaven for me; Hollywood Babylon is top 10 quality stuff! It starts off as a bubbly cherry/strawberry soda smell, warm due to the red musk. It's very flirty and whimsical as the cherry and strawberry smell very sugary instead of straight up fruit. The amber really blooms after a few hours of wear, grounding all of the fruit and vanilla sweetness. I also notice the heliotrope from this point onward; it's a lovely golden counterpoint to the rest of the fragrance. For the last few hours that Hollywood Babylon sticks around, my skin smells like pretty red musk and a touch of playful strawberry. Very cute, but with a womanly edge. I'd feel comfortable wearing this one for pretty much any occasion.

My bottle has aged many months now, and I think it's finally ready to be reviewed. When it was fresh and new from the lab, it had a strong medicinal/menthol vibe that really cleared out my sinuses. That element was distracting, but it's mellowed out now. Now I'm getting much more of a warm, swirling kind of fragrance. Snake Oil could almost be the scent of a spicy vanilla tea if it weren't for the overlaying incense (*I* can't imagine drinking incense, anyway). I love the vanilla note; it would be a medium tan colored vanilla if it had a color. Other people have described the scent of Snake Oil much better than I think I can, so I'll describe my impressions of it instead. I find Snake Oil to be a sexy fragrance. It's inviting and flirty, but has a weight that makes it sultry. It's certainly exotic as well, and I think it would draw people in to get a better whiff. On me, it smells like something my skin has absorbed after prolonged exposure rather than something I'm wearing. That is to say, it's a believable, natural kind of fragrance. I could see this becoming somebody (maybe my?) signature scent. It's unique and defined; attention grabbing and seductive. A wonderful perfume that I'm giddy to own.

First off, Event Horizon is a nice scent to wear on a stormy day. While wet, I get swirling opium and juicy florals. Definitely a dark, but hazy impression. After drying for awhile, the scent is smoky and sweet in a way that appeals to the gourmand in me. I would describe the weight as oppressive, but it's not a sad feeling; it's more like that awesome feeling you get when you know you're about to fall into a refreshing sleep. In fact, Event Horizon makes me want to curl up and take the most delicious nap. The juicy florals are still swirling around, now with a resiny aftertaste accompanying them. I completely love this element of the scent; if this is black orchid, I'm hooked. Finally, I'm getting an impression of scorched tree bark in here. I know that sounds odd, but it's the only way I can describe it. It's faint, but mysterious. Event Horizon is utterly beautiful. Even though my usual scents are either foody or pretty, I'd happily wear this one on a regular basis. Probably at night, or on stormy days.

I had to buy a bottle of this because the name and concept appeal to me so much. I was expecting something dark and sticky. Wet on my skin, I get a lot of frankincense and a sort of blinding boozy vibe, which I think is coming from the cognac. I don't get anything woodsy or green like a lot of other reviewers have, so it must be my skin chemistry that's making a difference. Dry, I smell this really pretty vanilla, and am totally sensing the tea (similar to Dorian's as others have noted). A whisper of coconut is there as well, and the scent is cuddly and poofy. Is this because of the silk? My bottle is a few months old, and is neither a very strong throw, nor very weak. It's pretty average; I can smell Tattered Lace from the spot I applied it on my wrist, even while my hands are away from my nose and typing right now. All in all, I like this one. I also have Red Lace, and prefer Tattered somewhat because it's so comforting.

In the imp, this smelled like an airy, bouncy tuberose covered in mint. Very pleasant and feminine; maybe a little ethereal. Wet on my skin, I get the lilacs and tuberose with the nice mint note pulling them together. The white musk is minimal at this point, and I only get the faintest impression of white chocolate. When dry, this scent is a pretty minty musk on me. Fairly foody at this point. I really like this one overall, and it lasts a wonderfully long time. The only thing I have to say is that I had unusually vivid nightmares when I tried wearing this to sleep, and I hope the notes in the perfume didn't trigger that.

Wow, I was so afraid of this lunacy, but it's actually really wonderful! On me, it's like this apple-pumpkin-bread kind of vibe, but it's not too sweet or "bakery." There are little hints of nature that perfectly invoke autumn. The image I have in my mind is walking down a familiar street in the middle of autumn, carrying a spicy piece of homemade bread in your hand. Ridiculously pleasant. I have only a sniffie and may need to find more.

Definitely sharp and citrusy. I've been waiting a few hours for the scent to calm down and round itself out, but none of the mellow notes are coming out to play. I'm just getting this citrus-peel surge, and maybe a touch of orange blossom. I can't say I'm a big fan of Harlequin. It's too bad, because the notes looked promising.

On me, this is deliciously sweet, warm peaches. I absolutely adore it! The peach is the main note from application to dry-drown for me, and it's warm and sugary like a peach cobbler. I was expecting more of a floral vibe, but it's really foody on me. That's okay; I think it's spectacular. I can tell the vanilla bean is grounding the blend, and the amber and sandalwood help to keep the warm peachiness from smelling "mushy." The heliotrope element is barely detectable; if anything it's just a nice glowing quality helping take Tamora to 5/5 stars. In case you couldn't tell, Tamora is pretty much perfect for me. I love foody, fruity, and vanilla blends, and this is my favorite BPAL that fits that description so far. Just really, really wonderful for my tastes! Associations: Color: Gold (of course) Mood: Simple delight. Rating: 5/5 ETA: This is my favorite BPAL now. It's perfect for any occasion, and I feel just blissful having it on.

Hmmm... usually I'm quite tolerant of foody scents, but this one is a little too wonky. I got my imp in a forum sale so it's aged a few months, btw. So I'm definitely getting the milk chocolate vibe off of this, but it's overwhelmed by what can only be cardamom. As somebody who's quite allergic to cinnamon, spices like these really turn me off. I was really hoping I'd get some ginger off of this, but I only detected it while the blend was still wet on my skin. Also, no rum to be found, but I'm noticing my chemistry has a tendency to slurp rum right out of any mix. This is a truffle I wouldn't want to eat, so I don't really want to smell like it either. Sad day. This was the first "box of chocolates" I was able to track down, and it just doesn't suit my tastes. In summary: In the imp: really does smell like a truffle, though it has some "odd" ingredients that I'd be worried I was allergic to. Wet: somewhat like a truffle. The ginger participates for a few minutes and that's fun. Dry: A weird amalgamation of stale milk chocolate and very strong cardamom. It makes me feel uneasy and a bit sick to my stomach. This is coming from a girl who doesn't mind smelling like a chocolate bar - just not like this. Associations: Color: Tan Mood: Off-Kilter Rating: 1/5

This is a very pretty, bright scent that really speaks to my girly-girl side. I mostly get the pear, which is syrupy sweet and cheerful. On me, the other notes only work to round out the fruity smell scent; the carnation pulls it away from being foody, and the incense stops it short of being too candy sweet. None of the notes can be isolated as well as the pear, though. Associations: Color: Ivory Mood: Buoyant Rating: 5/5

Upon fresh application, I'm getting the buttercream loud and clear. As things settle, a mix between hazelnut and almond rises to the fore. Hellcat could be described as boozy, but I find it to be in a "kitchen vanilla" kind of way more than a "mixed drink" kind of way. In other words, I can't find the rum. I'm digging this. On me, it could smell like I've been baking ridiculously sweet goodies. It's pretty much a vanilla-almond-hazelnut extract extravaganza. Wonderful, since I like foody stuff. Associations: Color: Clear amber. Mood: Indulgent. Rating: 5/5

After smelling next to nothing out of the imp, I started worrying about this one. On me, this is still pretty faint. Early on, I get the dark aquatic, but it smells so far away I can't feel properly terrified of R'Lyeh. A little later I'm getting the saltiness and a vague waft of something that seems ozoney to me. Slight soapiness happening here, but that seems to be the norm with me and aquatics. My associations: Color: Dark purple. Mood: Brooding. And, the scent makes me think about the original Bioshock, though I'm sure the name is helping me make that connection to a degree. Overall, not my favorite, and way too weak. 2/5

My first review! I ordered Whip as one of my imps in my very first lab order. The rose note in Whip is much more delicate than I was expecting. Though delicate, my overall impression of the rose is that it's big and healthy. For some reason, it makes me feel like I'd want to chew on the petals. I think this is the leather note lending a sense of "texture" to an otherwise simple fragrance. As for the leather note, it's subtle and my chemistry keeps it in the background at all times. I was expecting a brazen, deep scent from Whip, but I'm quite pleased with the fresh and full fragrance that it actually is. Whip is also a nice hair fragrance; simple and organic. My associations: Color: Diluted pink. Mood: Impulsive. 5/5 stars. My first favorite BPAL.