BoneBone24

Wet: Sweet and sort of earthy. Lighter than I was expecting. Drydown/Dry: Sweet, spicy, and resinous. The pimento is behaving as other olive notes do on my skin, and giving off a pale fruity vibe. It smells like pineapple with a touch of candied orange. Beneath that lies a shifty mixture of earthy spices and smoky resins. On the outskirts is a hint of briney seaweed. All in all it’s quite delightful. Enveloping, sensual, and exotic. This smells a bit like a combination of Anubis and Tzadikim Nistarim. With some extra smoke and spice thrown in. It's definitely a keeper!

I'm trying to think of unpredictable blends that might give off a Queenly or Sci-fi vibe...*think think* How About: Kubla Khan Queen Nephilim Maenad Chaotic The Great Sword of War No. 93 Engine 51 Jezirat Al Tennyn Or some combination of those

Wet: Golden and smoky. It smells like amber (the teak?) and burning leaves. Drydown/Dry: Setting sunlight peaking through multi-colored leaves, setting everything aglow. A cup of smoky black coffee fighting off the chill in the air. The scent of firewood burning nearby. Pulling out cozy sweaters from the back of the closet to be put to frequent use again. This is October to a T. This is fantastic stuff. Smoky and evocative, just the way I like my BPAL's. It reminds me of Noh Mask and Maples Leaves, only this is much better.

Wet: Floral, smoky, and sweet. Drydown: Smoky resins mainly. It smells a lot like myrrh. A bit of sweet and soft lilac lightens the darker notes just a bit. There is a tartness coming from somewhere that makes it seem to glow. Dry: A soft, almost-spicy incense blend kissed by a pale, almost-sour lilac fougere. Slightly powdery. It becomes more fougere-dominant throughout the day.

Wet: A lush, innocent-verging-on-womanly floral. Drydown/Dry: Very pink. A slightly sweet floral with musky sandalwood in the background. It reminds me of blush wine. It’s pretty, pink, and sweet; yet there’s something distinctly adult about it too. It seems to say, “Yes, I’m a lady. But I just might get a little slutty tonight.”

Wet: Foodie Snake Oil. It smells like cake sprinkled with salt. Drydown: It starts out smelling like white chocolate-covered pretzels and then becomes saltier and lighter. A hint of verbena emerges from the sea salt and snake oil. There's just a touch of hay and seaweed coming out too. Salty vanilla with touches of driftwood and sand. Dry: This is exactly what I expected Lyonesse to smell like. It’s woody vanilla at the core with distinctly oceanic notes hovering around the edges. Golds, greys, and pale greens. Salty, sun-bleached, and slightly spicy. It becomes cleaner and fresher throughout the day. I was pretty worried about the Snake Oil, especially since it was so dominant when sniffing it wet in the decant. But, my goodness! This dried into something oh-so beautiful! 8 out of 10 bones

Wet: Buttery vanilla. Drydown: Softer now. Rich, golden vanilla over smooth sandalwood. It becomes muskier and lighter as the ambergris starts to creep in. Dry: Softer still. It smells a lot like Perversion minus the smoky notes. Fluffy, creamy, golden, and smooth.

Wet: This smells guh-ood! Smooth, glowing cinnamon. Somewhat dry. Drydown: I catch a whiff of tart and juicy peach, which almost immediately bows out as robust, cinnamon-laced incense takes over. A bit of clove, dry incense, and delicate orange sit just below the surface. It’s bold yet soft and smooth. Dry: More spiced incense but now with traces of earthy, woody patchouli beneath it. Just a whisper of orange now. Sexy, cozy, and grounding. It smells like The Dodo’s sophisticated and sexy af cousin. 8 out of 10 bones

Wet: Bonne bell lip balm. Drydown/Dry: Fruity, but not overly sweet or intense in any way. It smells a bit like Starbursts candy, but softer and somehow sophisticated. I have been actively avoiding scents with raspberry (shudder-inducing memories of middle school when everything smelled like BBW’s sun-kissed raspberry all the time), but I’m pleasantly surprised that BPAL’s raspberry doesn’t smell anything like that. It smells a bit like strawberries, only a touch less sweet. For an all-fruit scent this actually quite pleasant and soft. Fluffy, bright, and happy.

Wet: Toothpaste with a hint of ambergris. Drydown: The ambergris is taking over now, shoving the mint to back. Sweet and solemn myrrh saddles up next to the mint while at the front it is all about the ambergris show. It’s frothy, golden, and salty. Refreshing and comforting at the same time. Dry: As it dries the myrrh comes out a bit more, as does the tobacco. Smokier and muskier now. It started out aquatic but now it’s all about the smoke and resins. It becomes softer and darker as the day wears on. I'd categorize this as gender-neutral-leaning-towards-masculine. Usually I love the scents in that category, but for some reason I'm on the fence with this one. I enjoy it, but it might be a bit too manly for me. I'll definitely wear it a few more times before making up my mind, and if I do decide its too masculine I'll be sure to give it to someone that I'll get to smell often, like my husband or brother. Edited to add: I decided to keep this one for me. It's a must-have in the sweltering heat of summer. 7.5 out of 10 bones

A mournful, poignant scent, thick with foreboding. Soft golden amber darkened with a touch of murky black musk. Wet: Bright and alluring. It smells liking camping...spring rain mixed with skin-so-soft lotion and lingering campfire smoke. Drydown: Soft and sweet citrus. It actually smells a lot like a creamsicle. I can see the lemon cheesecake association too. It’s creamy and golden, yet there’s something dark about it. Dry: Smoky, creamy, and tart. Seductive and beautiful. As it dries it reminds me more and more of Snake Oil, minus the overt vanilla and medicinal/spicy notes. Haunted smells like a glowing shadow. I think a lot of people would be surprised by this one. 7 out of 10 bones

Wet: A sweet lemon-citron cologne. It has an airy quality I'd describe as nearly effervescent. Drydown/Dry: I can definitely smell the embalming fluid but it’s much more sophisticated in this thanks to the support of the other notes. It’s bright and sweet, but also musky, pale green, and nuanced. Note-wise I’d guess embalming fluid (lemon, white musk, green tea, aloe), citron musk, oakmoss, hyssop, elemi, and maybe a touch of something earthier like white leather or frankincense. As it dries a prettier note, lily perhaps, comes out too. Overall it’s very clean and tart with a classic appeal. In short, it smells like musky lemon rain. I adore this. I've been holding on to my Embalming Fluid imp, along with some of the other light citrus blends (Phobos, Baobhan Sith, etc.) because I like the idea of having a clean citrus scent to splash on when it's hot out or when I've been sweating. But none of those have really wowed me, due to how simple they are, I think. But here comes Herbert West with a solution to that problem! It has the same refreshing goodness but with gobs more sophistication and intrigue. On the bottle list it goes!

Wet: Sweet and exotic. I'm picking up some sort of flavored rum. Drydown/Dry: I think the “flavored” bit is coming from a mixture of the rum with orange and bay, which goes creamy on me. It’s waxy, buttery, and slightly tart. The cedar, teak, and tobacco add a nice and spicy grounding element. It’s smoky and smooth without being too dark or masculine. The thyme is barely there in the background and adds a touch of sophistication to this already complex blend. In summary, it's waxy and creamy orange rum over spicy and smoky woods with just a hint of greenery.

Wet: Necco Wafers. Drydown: Fruity lotus takes center stage. The lavender’s in there trying to fend off the candy-vibe, but so far the lotus is winning the battle. At this point it’s a blend of Necco Wafers and Juicy Fruit. Dry: The lotus has mellowed a bit and the lavender has nearly disappeared. I can’t really smell the spices, but there is a warmth that I suspect is coming from them. Soft and slightly fruity. 3 out of 10 bones

Wet: Fresh, juicy apple with a hint of peach and spring flowers. Drydown: The aquatic notes join with the apple to create an apple spritzer sort of vibe. Soapy rose floats just beneath it. There’s a touch of pomegranate and something that smells like play doh in the background. My guess is that melilot is the culprit. Dry: The play doh has faded away and the autumn breezes have moved in. Fresh and fruity (mostly pomegranate at this point) with soft rose and a warm aquatic breeze. Feminine and refreshing. I'm not usually crazy about florals and fruity scents, especially those associated with the color red, but I found this quite lovely despite that!

Wet: Bright and smokey. Like bergamot and the toast crumbs at the bottom of the toaster that have been toasted for the umteenth time. Drydown: Unff. This is manly in the best way. A strong gust of herbs and clean musk with a bit of tonka, leather, and woodsiness following close behind. Cozy leather and patchouli ground the scent, with a smokey, animalistic oomph. Over it are layers of musky amber tarted up by citrus and a green-leaning lavender. Just a trace of anise ties the layers together, giving it a "what is that?" quality. It's not remotely shy, but it is decidedly smart. Whoever said sexy librarian nailed it. Dry: Similar to the drydown but smoother. The perfect balance of earthy/woodsy and sophisticated. Warm, sexy, smooth, and refined. If I were a man or in a masculine mood, this would be my go-to scent. 8 out of 10 bones

Wet: Fabulous! Spicy, almost creamy rum, dark wood, and blasts of salty sea spray. Drydown/Dry: More of the same. A deep and spicy aquatic sweetened by rum and deepened by rich, earthy wood notes. Perfectly balanced. Smooth yet tumultuous. It smells like a cross between Jolly Roger and Mary Read, with moments of woody mandrake thrown in. My skin tends to turn scents sweet, so on me this is gender neutral and quite yummy.

Wet: Shimmering and sweet. Distinctively white. Drydown: The celestial musk really shines. It’s light and pearlescent. Honey and a bit of well-behaved vanilla sweeten the blend. There’s just a hint of something sharp in the background. Dry: The sharp floral note moves to the forefront. It smells like a soft, sugared iris; I suppose it must be the acacia. The overall scent if very white and lightweight. It’s clean, airy, sweet, and just a little bit sharp. 4 out of 10 bones

Wet: It smells sweet and peach-colored. Musk-wise it sort of smells like a neutered red musk, if that makes any sense. Drydown/Dry: Early in the drydown I got a bit of a creamy floral vibe from it. After that it goes back to the sweet, peach-hued musk. It smells both good and bad, which is sort of funny considering the concept. It’s oddly sweet. It actually reminds me of a number of other BPAL’s that don’t quite work on me. Mostly vanilla-based ones, like Dragon’s Milk and Snake Oil, but also Chimera. I’m now wondering if skin musk is a secret note in some of those, and perhaps partially guilty for some of my vanilla issues. Interesting food for thought... Anyhoo, I’d bet this smells awesome on most people. And it does kinda smell good on me. But it also kinda smells bad too, in a sickly sweet and creamy sort of way.

Yikes! Sounds not fun I like to wear Darkness or The Great Sword of War when I want to embrace my more badass side. Anything you find deep and masculine-leaning should do the trick too. I'd also recommend putting a drop of something you find comforting (like something with lavender or a foodie scent - Dorian would be perfect) on one of your wrists too so you can huff it when you need a quick de-stressing. I hope you get through things just fine. Remember to breath.

A clean and sweet aquatic. There's a fresh and cool note blasting through, juniper or mint perhaps. Some ozone too. Light blue-green hues abound. It's quite refreshing and sinus-clearing. Pale, frothy, and cool.

Sugar-dusted pink grapefruit with white and yellow flowers. Ginger flower maybe. There's something tropical about it. I'm getting a feint impression of an orange-hued fruit in the background. Sparkly and soft.

Wet: Watery rose with a hint of a bright fruit. Drydown: Light rose and some sort of citrus - bergamot maybe. A hint of violet is coming through too. For a moment it verges on soapy and then it sweetens and brightens enough to come back from that. Dry: Violets over citrus-splashed roses and perhaps some light herbs. Clean and misty. 6 out of 10 bones

Wet: Pale melon tempered by watery aquatic notes. Drydown/Dry: Still pale melon with a splash of citrus and sea spray. There’s a coolness that makes me think there might be something like eucalyptus or mint in the mix. I think there might be a white floral resting in the background too. Refreshing and light. Less melon-y as it dries. 6 out of 10 bones

Wet: Deep green with a woodsy spiciness. Warm and complex. Quite manly. Drydown/Dry: This smells exactly like my husband! Well, his deodorant actually - or him wearing his deodorant to be precise. I’d like to wax poetic about the notes, but all I can think about is resting my head on my husband’s shoulder. Ugh this is distracting (at work and shouldn’t be thinking of shirtless cuddle time)! Needless to say, I really really enjoy this, but I’ll probably be handing the imp off to the hubby. 7.5 out of 10 bones