OctoberGwen

This is gorgeous, but you really need to love cinnamon for it to work. The pumpkin somehow seems to bring out the cinnamon in Sin to the nth degree; it also lends a lovely, creamy vibe that is really delicious. Sadly, cinnamon and I are not friends, so this one isn't for me.

DORIAN IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH I really couldn't imagine how this would smell before I tried it, but it is quite nice - I do agree that the pumpkin actually blends quite nicely with Dorian's vanilla tea vibe. I also agree that it's quite sweet and foody, which isn't my thing at all. When first applied, the pumpkin is pretty strong; after several minutes it softens down quite a bit and the whole scent becomes really well blended. There is no mistaking the fact that this is Dorian. For foody folk, or anyone who loves Dorian, this should be a no-brainer.

MOROCCAN PUMPKIN PATCH I'll start this off by saying that Morocco is one of those scents that I really love, but for some reason I've never sought out a bottle. Every so often I dig through my imp box, happen upon it, and say "Oh, yeah! Morocco!" I've no idea why it doesn't inspire passion in me, because it's really right up my alley. *shrug* Anyway, the Pumpkin Patch version of this smells richer and spicier to me than the regular version, although unlike Snakes In the PP, it is not yielding a ton of that distinct pumpkin note. It smells quite nice and then suddenly...it's gone. Once again, Morocco and I miss our connection.

Dead Dreams of Days Forsaken ...how I love that name! In the bottle this smells like sweet cough syrup; on my skin it starts out very heavy on the bitter almond note - almost to the exclusion of everything else. After several minutes the almond fades way back and this becomes a gorgeous symphony: deep, earthy, and spicy. I can definitely detect the cumin and maybe a bit of the labdanum, which I believe is what's adding the very faintest of tingles to my nose. I'm not getting a ton of frankincense, but I bet it will come out more with time. The patchouli is sort of magnificent. I love Dead Dreams; it is unique to my collection and I believe it will age beautifully. I'm so happy I chose this as my one Proserpine bottle.

I have to quote you here because this is so apt. I managed to find a decant of this, which is probably all I need since I bought another Proserpine bottle already. I won't need more than a decant of Hope & Fear because this type of resin scent is something I am only in the mood to wear occasionally. That said, man oh man: this is some amazing frankincense. I do not get the usual cloying quality from the bourbon vanilla; rather, here it just complements the resin so beautifully. It's a symphony played on two top-quality instruments. I feel like I am sitting in a grand, ancient cathedral during the Christmas vigil. Gorgeous stuff. Frank fans, get thee a bottle STAT.

This is exactly the sort of scent I love: spicy, slightly musky, with a hint of rose. I am so glad I'm not a rose amper, because it is so very beautiful in blends like this. I only get a very faint (almost subliminal) suggestion of gummy bear residue if I smush my nose to my wrist...which is perfect. Sugary candy scents do not work on my skin at all. I am thrilled to finally have a Lilith scent that is so very wearable. It is gorgeous, and something I will definitely reach for on a regular basis. Of course, the label is adorable, too.

SEPTEMBER MIDNIGHT God, I love this Teasdale poem. This scent is very pretty, but also very hard to pin down and describe properly. It has an airy quality, which I wasn't expecting from the amber/myrrh combination. In fact, I do not really detect either of those notes per se. I do get dark pomegranate, but it is not juicy here at all. Overall there is a slightly perfumey feel; perhaps that's the airiness. I love what this captures, but ultimately I know this is not something I will reach for. I like deep resins and earthy musks, and this is just too airy for me. It is really pretty, though, and pomegranate fans should definitely try it.

THEME IN YELLOW Oh, this is soooooo evocative. This is fresh pumpkin: the clean inside rind and flesh after all the gooey guts and seeds have been scooped out; and warm, glowing beeswax. There is a hint of something sweet (the Halloween joy, perhaps?), but this is not foody to my nose - no baked or sugary/spicy pumpkin here; no craft store pumpkin, either. This is a jack-o-lantern that has just been lit, and it's pure October magic. I love this so much. ETA: I just wanted to add that putting a few drops of this in an oil burner with some water created the most wonderful thing: a kitchen which smelled of glowing Jack O'Lanterns. I absolutely love this in the burner, and will probably pick up another bottle so that I can use it for just this purpose. Also, when I accidentally let the water evaporate, I could actually smell charred pumpkin flesh - like when the candle is too close to the lid on the Jack O'Lantern. Completely awesome. Beth, thank you so much for this scent. Now I can experience what, to me, embodies the spirit of Hallowe'en whenever I want to.

SNAKES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH Fresh out of the mailbox, this starts off very pumpkin-y, with a bit more than I want of the buttery note that is predominant in many BPAL pumpkin blends. Once drydown occurs, though, this scent turns into magic. My beloved Snake Oil finally starts to assert itself, and the pumpkin blends into it and becomes slightly creamy and spicy and it is just heavenly. The buttery note is obliterated, thank God. I definitely still get pumpkin, lots of pumpkin, and it is lovely with the SO. I slathered some in my cleavage and my youngest son told me my shirt smelled good: "like coffee; no, candy; sweet like pumpkin pie...it smells like Halloween!" This will age magnificently and will now be my Go To Autumn Pumpkin Scent. Thank you, Beth! I am so happy to finally have a pumpkin I can wear! ETA: SWEET BABY JESUS. I can still smell this on my body this morning, even after a quick shower. It is addictive, folks. I need fifty-seven bottles.

"Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the must-haves and meh's as the Halloween season approaches!" I will definitely share my thoughts as soon as I receive my Weenie order! So excited.

There is a leather rec thread here, where I am sure you'll find a ton of ideas.

Gods, this is so lovely. Gentle, pale, spicy woods and the distinctive, delicate golden quality of frankincense. Another instant classic from Our Lady of Pain.

Mrs. Grose.

This smells really nice one me; I get a lot of gardenia and amber and orange, plus a bit of red musk and rose. It is so well blended that it has a very classic feel to it. I definitely get the 'rich and regal' aspect from this scent and I think it embodies the poem very well. I don't find it terribly memorable on me, though, so I don't feel any need to track down a bottle.

Red Rose 2005. FAUGH. Too sharp, too fresh, too green, too sweet. Apparently I prefer my roses powdery, or mixed with something else. Rose Red is even worse than Two, Five, And Seven on me - and that's saying a lot. Peacock Queen I can do. This I cannot.

Smelling this in the bottle: wtf? My son wrinkled his nose and wandered away muttering, "Uh...interesting?" Once it hits my skin, though, it's magic. Everything swirls into a beauteous waft of smoky, rich, gleaming yumminess. The geranium is really fantastic with these other notes, and for once in its godforsaken life the bourbon vanilla is not overwhelming the joint with its nauseating sweetness. Black Taffeta is a perfect, perfect symphony. Kind of musky, kind of resinous somehow, very smooth. Like stretching out naked on a swath of dark satin. I'm in love.

Oh boy. Golden frankincense with a perfect mix of florals; the neroli (which is a note I love) keeps it from being too sweet. I think it captures the essence of Clytie's story. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful blend, and I will weep when my 1/4 imp is gone.

Mmmmmm..... I love this Lace. I'm getting some beautiful (French?) tobacco (no caramel per se, thank you Jesus), a lightly floral vibe, and some of that particular vanilla/cognac goodness that says "BPAL Lace" to my nose. I am not getting any effervescence, really, and I do not find this to be fruity at all. I think the mandarin and the blossoms are very nicely balanced, forming a light layer on top of the tobacco, vanilla, and cognac. There is also no typical smoky opium "bite", maybe because it's the flower we have here. This is just beautiful, a perfect summertime fragrance. Summer Lace is made of total awesomesauce.

Honest to God, I don't know if I really like this or really dislike it. I definitely can't stop smelling myself, so take that for what it's worth! When this first goes on, I realize what green patchouli is. It is just like I've taken a young sapling, split its slender trunk open, and am inhaling all that sap-covered green wood. The vetiver lends its distinctive smokiness, like a grass fire, and I am getting some of the coconut (which really does have a 'sheer' quality here.) I don't pick out myrrh's super-sweetness, and I think I'm only getting a hint of the bergamot and I'm still waiting for the mimosa... But at this phase I'm still all, "Do I frigging like this or don't I?" The far drydown, though, is just gorgeous. I'm smelling what can only be the white amber and perhaps a bit of that mimosa, finally? With just a faint whisper of the former grittiness. This scent is intriguing and unique, and the longer it's on, the more I like it.

I love the initial cooling blast of mint here, but upon drydown there is something in the combination of notes that disagrees with my skin. It just smells off to me; I am beginning to wonder if perhaps champaca flower is not my friend. However, if champaca flower is your friend, you may enjoy this one. The initial minty goodness (with some tart factor from the lime rind) is really refreshing.

I'm not always a fan of aquatics, but this is a very feminine take on them that I rather like. I can't smell it specifically, but perhaps it's the rose geranium that's giving it a feminine edge. Salty, soft, and clean; I get the ambergris for sure. This is not something I would wear often, but it fills that oceanic niche in my BPAL box very nicely. I'll likely keep the imp.

This smells spot-on like dandelions to me, bitter-ish petals, sap, stem, leaves, and all. Very, very true to life and super evocative of childhood time outdoors.

Oh, Tricksy, my beloved TRICKSY! To say that I adore this magical potion of skin-softening goodness is like saying that a blue whale is big. High end patchouli (Sumatran red, maybe?), a gorgeous and subtle woodsiness, and a tiny drop of honeyed sweetness to smooth it all out...perfection in a bottle. Tricksy layers beautifully with Snake Oil and all its children and with pretty much every red musk blend I own, too. It smells fanfuckingtastic with SO hair gloss AND Honey hair gloss. I can wear it alone and still smell like a dream. It is magnificent. I use it as an after-shower moisturizer and my skin is soft all day. My towel, which I now only wash occasionally, smells fuckingfantastic, too. This needs to be a General Catalog blend, because my four bottles do not look like nearly enough to this decidedly non-hoarding gal.

OMFG. Is this what honey smells like on other people's skin? I looooove this gloss. The scent is true wildflower honey, not cloying at all, with just the right amount of sweetness. This is perfect for summer, and I will reach for it all season, I'm sure. (Don't tell my Snake Oil gloss, please.) As with SO, my hair is silky and shiny and very, very happy.

I don't particularly enjoy plum on my skin, but in a room spray it is divine - especially here, with the wild lily and tobacco. This is a beautiful spray that actually reminds me very much of a BPAL scent...I just can't think of which one. It's in the Madame Moriarty/Lucy, Kissed/Our Lady of Pain family, for sure. I suppose I get the comparisons to Oak Leaves and Kyphi, but I like this one much better. I like it as much as its sister spray, House of Unquenchable Fire, but where House is all about the frankincense, Fierce Nights has plum as the star of the show. The tobacco keeps it from being cloying or overly fruity, and the lily adds a lovely, delicate depth. Big Win, as is everything else from OLoP.