Voleuse

On first application, this is a sweet almond oil, strong and boozy. It's definitely a warm scent, but the alcohol is a little overpowering at first. As it dries, however, it fades into a faintly sweet liqueur, and I definitely smell the honey mead. It's nice, but I'm not one for very boozy scents.

On first application, this is pumpkin bread and apple cider, except from a distance. There are floral overtones to this, but it comes off as very foody on me. As the scent dries, it becomes smoke and buttery cornbread, and a wisp of dry florals. It's a nice scent, but I think I prefer the 2005 version to this one.

This smells a little like laundry on first application, crisp and clean. As it dries, however, a note of tea creeps in, with a bit of lemon and ginger. It's not foody, but almost. I can smell the vanilla, but this isn't a sweet scent on me, and I don't get honey at all. It's a fascinating scent, and I like it, but I can't see myself wearing it very much.

I had no idea what Absinthe would smell like. On first application, I smell mint and lemon, and an odd herbal-boozy note I assume is the wormwood itself. As it dries, however, it becomes all lemon, sweet and a little dry. Huh. After a while, the entire blend morphs into pure black licorice. And, um. I don't like licorice. Ah, well.

On first application, this is both aquatic and abrasive. I take a sniff then flinch away. Yikes! As it dries, however, the scent mellows a little. The mint is still harsh, and the juniper is strong. I can see how this blend might turn out beautifully on some, but it's quite unfriendly on me.

On first application, this is pungent nutmeg and something like honey, almost unbearably sweet. As it dries, the dryness of cedar creeps in, and the amber warms the overall scent. The throw is amazingly strong on me, too. Wow! I don't get any mandarin or rose at all. After a while, the sweetness is balanced by the spices, and there's a hint of dust as well, but not in a bad way. This is warm and complex and a little crowded, and I think it works perfectly.

On first application, this is all cedar and leather, but the vanilla comes into play almost immediately after that. Rawr. The musk isn't strong on me, but I definitely catch hints of it, as well as the floral notes, which are faint. After a while, the blend gets a little smoky, and the carnation gets a little stronger as well. Overall, however, this is masculine and damn sexy. I'm sucker for BPAL's leather notes, and this doesn't disappoint. I love this blend, and I definitely want a bottle.

Oh, wow. I'm not sure exactly what's in this blend, at different sniffs, it's reminded me of lime, of lemongrass, of lavender. As it dries, however, the lavender becomes dominant, though it keeps the tart note of lime in the background. This is definitely a soothing scent, delicate and calming. It doesn't have a strong throw, but that would defeat the purpose, I think. It's lovely.

On first application, this actually reminds me of sweet grains and honey. I'm not sure where it comes from, but it very much smells like a breakfast table. As it dries, it clarifies to a citrus-herbal smell, except smooth instead of sharp. It's fresh and clean and sunny. There's also a hint of spice that I really like. It's a nice blend, but very light on me.

On first application, this is mango and lavender on me, sweet and subdued. As it dries, I get a hint of the musk, and an herbal note that balances the sweetness. The amber, I think, lends a warmness to the overall blend. There's a touch of spice as well, which is perfect. This is a complex and beautiful blend, but it's much too delicate on me, I think--close to the skin and faint.

I get a muted citrus note on first application, immediately followed by a bloom of herbs. Soon after that, however, I'm slammed over the head with an almost feral musk, and it isn't pleasant on me. Surrounding the musk is are hints of misty forest and ozone, but it's difficult to get around the dominant note. Ugh. After a while, the musk fades a little, but on me it's still strongly animalistic. This is a wild scent, a field and forest scent on me. It's fascinating, but it just doesn't work the way I'd hoped it would.

On first application, this is an odd combination of sugar and resin. It's sweet and syrupy, and darkly tinged. It doesn't blow my mind when I first try it on, but it's insidious. I keep wanting to sniff it, more and more. As it dries, it becomes a little less sweet, but the overall balance of sugar and incense stays the same. I don't get any floral or wood notes on this at all. The throw is decent, and it lasts a respectable amount of time. I really like this, though I don't think I'll go through the heartbreak of trying to find a bottle.

On first application, this is an aquatic floral, soft and sweet. There's something fruity behind it as well, a juicy note that makes my mouth water. It's cool and delicate on me. I can discern a wood note in this as well, but it's barely detectible. After a while, in fact, the sweetness just becomes stronger--not cloying at all, but it's pervasive. I really like this scent.

I have no idea what's going on with my body chemistry. From the vial, this reminds me of eucalyptus and aloe, calming and cleansing. On my skin, however, this blend is all licorice and fish oil. It's astringent and makes my eyes water. Every once in a while, I get hints of what seems like a cool, calming scent, but it quickly reverts back to licorice. Weird.

Cocoa is the top note initially, with the fig and lemon following shortly thereafter. It's more complex than that, of course, but my nose can't distinguish them. If I sniff closely enough, I sometimes catch tonka, and sometimes honey and vanilla. This is a dry and sweet and dark scent on me, complicated and surprising. After a while, it gets a little smokier on me, and the musk creates a lovely halo of scent. It doesn't have a lot of throw--I'd have to slather it. It's delicious, though. I'm glad I have a bottle.

On first application, this is sweet incense, with a little earth to ground it. There's a floral note as well, and resin, I think--it's very warm. It's pungent, actually, and almost syrupy sweet on me. As it settles on me, it becomes less overpowering, and morphs to light incense and wood. It's pleasant, and steadying--not a perfume, really, but a nice scent, nonetheless.

This was the very first scent I bought from the lab. I'm not sure why I haven't reviewed it before now. Aside from the fact I'm Filipina, I have a deep love of sampaguita, so I had to try this blend. On first application, however, banana is the dominant note on me. There's a lush floral behind it, ripe fruits, and the hint of a wood note. As it dries, it gets a little smokier, a little less sweet. There's also a spicy note I hadn't noticed before. It fades a lot on me, but I'm happy to slather this one. It doesn't smell quite like I'd hoped it would, but it's delicious, just the same.

This is delicious mint, cold and sweet. As it dries, I start to detect something peppery under it, but I can't discern the cucumber. After a while, the mint isn't so very dominant, and it's a nice cool note on my skin. This doesn't really morph on me though--it's a bouquet of mint leaves, from start to finish. Yum.

Even on first application, I can barely smell this scent. It's creamy and sweet, and I think I get a little bit of mint, as well. Unfortunately, after that one, brief whiff of it, it disappears completely. I can barely tell I put anything on at all!

This is all sharp and sweet orange scent on me. As it dries, I get a little bit of the fig, but not much. After a while, however, it becomes too sharp, and a little bitter. It's still sweet, but that edge makes my nose wrinkle. A nice scent, but not for me.

On first application, this is sharp and sweet and herbal. The orange is one of the stronger notes, as well as lavender. There's a dry scent behind it, too--I'm tempted to call it papery. As it dries, the orange comes out more strongly, though it's still counterbalanced by the other notes. This is beautiful, bright and clarifying. I definitely want a bottle.

In the bottle, this is an intoxicating blend, coffee and liquor and sugary cream. On application, however, it's a cup of coffee that's been sitting out for a bit, and the crumbs of a doughnut. This isn't a bad thing, however. There's something in this blend that reminds me of my own library--it's not as venerable as the titular institution, of course, but there's still the barest hint of paper and wood behind the coffee, books upon books, shelves upon shelves. Fascinating. Unfortunately, this blend fades to the barest hint of coffee on my skin. It's beautiful, but barely noticeable.

This is a wild scent, smoky and sweet and alive. I'm not sure how to describe it, as I can't discern the individual notes--it's incredibly well balanced. There's musk, something earthy and a little feral. There's a bonfire in the distance, and a forest, leaves mulching underfoot. There's a feast indoors, tables overflowing with fruit and wine and bread and meats. There's the moon rising overhead. This isn't really a scent I would wear, but it's deeply evocative, and I find it very moving. Beautiful.

This is all jasmine on first application, with the merest hint of creamy ylang ylang. It's sweet and potent. After a moment, a smoky incense note emerges, which must be the frankincense. I can't discern the other individual notes, but this blend does have a complexity I like. After a while, this dries to a crisp floral incense, a smoky haze drifting in the firelight. It's lovely, but a little too strong for my tastes.

Another beautiful evergreen scent, this one slightly sweet, with snow crunching underfoot. This is cold, but still cheery. As it dries, however, it gets spicier, sweeter. This is beautiful. (I'm trying not to get too attached.)