Meg

Ooh, I love combining these, too! Here are some I've tested or I think would work well! Grampa Joe + Midway Gloop + Gula + Bliss (chocorrific) Absinthe + Frenum + Squirting Cucumber (cucumberlicious) Decadence + Creepy (fave autum combo!) or O (yum!) Smashing or Embargo + Shub Niggurath Embargo + Urd Silver Violets + Antique Lace I think Paradise Misplaced would do well with Obatala, Embalming Fluid and possibly Snowflakes or Snow White. Actually I've mixed some Embalming Fluid into my Whipped because PM didn't do so well on my skin. ... now I need to take a Villainess soak!

(click here to see bigger version) Colour: One application will yield a nice milk chocolate brown. A second application will give you a beautiful 75% cocoa black chocolate brown. Another comparison would be with shiitake mushrooms, with a really pretty dark brown top. It's very slightly purple, with reddish or bluish tinges in turn, depending on the light. Texture: Perfectly smooth, shiny. Hold: I've worn 2 coats of Destroying Angel *without* a topcoat, and it's held for 3 days until it finally started to chip very slightly on some edges (I type and take notes a lot, they got decant-circle labels stuck to them several times, and I cooked, all very intense for the nails). Touch-ups are easy, it doesn't make the layers go all soft and smudgy underneath, and they are barely visible. Drydown: BPAL nail polish dries in a matter of seconds. I think about one minute and you're OK for a second layer. Unlike many nail polishes, it doesn't go gooey or soft once you've added a second layer. With most polishes I have to be SuperCareful about not going to bed or doing anything too strenuous with my hands, lest I get bedclothes-imprints on my nails, or various other marks. Nothing like that going on here, thank goodness!! Synesthaesia? Destroying Angels are white, not brown-topped, but from what I remember of the scent, it had this dark earthy mushroomy goodness that I definitely associate with a similar shade of brown. Conclusion: This is the best nail polish I have had in YEARS. I'd been trying browns and ended up giving up because they were too coppery. This one is perfect! It goes well with most colours, especially purple. And of course, the texture is perfect.

I'm allergic to frankincense, and it's a respiratory allergy, not a skin allergy. When there's frankincense in a blend, I get a very dry, sore throat in a matter of minutes. Some people have posited it's the beginning of an anaphylactic reaction, and, well, suffice it to say I avoid frankincense as much as I can. (this isn't just the BPAL frankincense, Lush products with frankincense essential oil and burning frankincense resin do it too)

In the bottle: Sweet, buttery and a bit spicy. Wet on skin: Smooth, sweet and spicy, a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. Drydown: Hmm, this develops stronger spices - unsurprising, I amp them - mostly cinnamon and something slightly citrusy, over a creamy vanilla-ish base. There's something slightly effervescent, too. Overall: A very pleasant, gentle blend. Honestly, it smells very much like Chimera in the vanilla-cinnamon department, but it's less invasive and powerful. A warm, homey scent, maybe not something I'd wear, but it's very pleasant.

In the bottle: Apple and coconut in equal measures. Wet on skin: Still apple and coconut, with butter. Drydown: The apple comes out stronger, and the caramel is very similar to that note in Midway. That note that I can happen to wear! It definitely smells like caramel apple, the coconut has gone to the background and I only smell the rum as a hint of boozy bitterness in the background. Overall: A very pleasant nutty and buttery foody scent, with a lovely caramel. Unfortunately something morphs in it at some point, making it more bitter and less pleasant. I'll stick to Midway, I think, but this would have been a nice alternative.

This review refers to the 2006 version of the blend. In the bottle: Oakmoss and balsams along with vetiver. Deep, masculine, complex. Wet on skin: Pungent, sharp balsams, mostly, and the scent of dead leaves. It's refreshing. Drydown: It's a deep, masculine scent, mostly balsams with a bite, possibly also some geranium. There's something nearly mentholated about it, and definitely lots of leaves. Mmm, leaves! The oakmoss warms it up but doesn't take over, giving it a deeper feel, and clove is barely there, just adding to the mix. Overall: It's not at all something I would wear, but it's absolutely one of the most sexy masculine scents I've smelled. It's very autumnal, cool and spicy at the same time. I'm keeping this one on hand as a room scent or to spread onto someone.

This refers to the 2006 version of the blend. In the bottle: Sweet incense. Wet on skin: Frankincense liek whoa. Also, a slight berry note. Drydown: It's very soft frankincense, perhaps with a breath of tonka? It has a nice smoothness to it. Then it becomes very very sweet, not foody at all, just very sugary frankincense. Overall: Frankincense blends waft a lot for me, this one is no exception - so, good throw. I'm sure it's good if you like frankincense, but to me incense blends like this all smell the same (Meshkhenet smells nearly identical, to my nose). That, and I have an allergy to frankincense means that I'd never wear this.

This refers to the 2006 edition of the blend. In the bottle: Boozy, syrupy fruits, possibly like plum. Wet on skin: The scent is bitter from burnt sugar and perfumy from booze, but it's still sugared fruits. It reminds me of a slightly burned plum pie. Drydown: There's a hint of dried leaves in this, probably the only note in the blend I can wear without making it foul. Behind the leaves, this boozy sweet plum scent. But mostly, it actually smells like burnt rubber. Sugar smells just don't work out on me. Overall: I think this might be a rather adult, deep plum-and-sugar scent, on the right person. Alas, I'm definitely not the right person because my skin hates Beth's sugar notes, so this will be swapped.

In the bottle: Pumpkin, cardamom and ginger, and mandarin. Wet on skin: Amber takes over completely, then lets a spicy pumpkin and orange through. Drydown: This smells very much like a shop where they sell scented candles, but there's a bit of a cakey feel to it which, I think, comes with the pumpkin note and possibly the ginger. There's something rich and more complex than just "foody", though, there's the orange and amber that give it a more regal, deep feel. Overall: A spicy warm pumpkin cake scent. I'd like to eat something that smells like this, but I wouldn't like to smell like this. It smells really orange, if that means anything to anyone. It's pleasant, but not really "me".

In the bottle: A very light, honeyed lily. Wet on skin: Sweet lily, a teense aquatic, pretty perfumy, and slightly headachy. Drydown: It's a rather spicy lily scent, with another floral in there, perhaps narcissus. There's also a tang of lemon which makes it very refreshing. Actually it nearly smells like tea, hmm. Then a resin comes out, I think it's benzoin, and it adds a smooth musky darkness that ends up taking over the blend. Overall: This is surprisingly like Embalming Fluid Meets A Floral. It's definitely a very strong floral at first, but then citrusy tea notes come out. And at the same time there is something darker and a bit musky too. It doesn't smell black, but it smells smooth and light and somber all at the same time. It also combines a floral I don't like with a resin I don't like and still manages to be a blend that I wouldn't mind wearing. Very good.

In the bottle: Smoky burning vetiver and a hint of sulphur, I think. Wet on skin: Still dark smoky vetiver with a hint of something bitter and green. Drydown: It doesn't change very much from the bottle: gritty vetiver and sulphurous smoke. It's very much like a bonfire, which is nice. Overall: Vetiver and I have a mixed track record, but this one stays pretty true. It reminds me of Agnes Nutter without the rusty nails, and adds itself to the "gunpowder" category, to me. Definitely an interesting blend. However, not one that I would wear.

I wasn't wearing any BPAL when I went to buy my copy, but I was wearing Penny Dreadful in my mind, cause that's what I was planning to wear when my sister hurried me out of the house. Edited because I was OT

In the bottle: Tobacco and very very sweet milk! Wet on skin: Condensed milk and aquatic notes, which I can't really explain, except that they are rather pond-like. At one point it smells like wet wool. I also get the tobacco I had in Elegba. Drydown: I get aquatics, still, sort of salty and still mixed with linens. I get some of the tobacco and sweet milk, and it has a bit of a cologney feel to it, because of the aquatics that are decidedly oceanic. The tobacco and milk take turns dominating the blend, it's a bit foody and smoky and aquatic. Overall: This reminds me a little bit of Elegba, for the coconutty milk note and the tobacco. Unfortunatley on me, tobacco quickly goes to stale cigarette smoke. However it turns out pretty okay on me, stabilised by the milk note. It really smells like a very sweet men's aftershave, it makes me think of something a bit old-fashioned, which works out well for Shadwell. It really has a musty atmosphere, stuffy, with this pervasive milk scent over it. I wouldn't wear this, but it would probably work on someone who can do ozony aquatics.

In the bottle: Cologne, leather, oakmoss, lemon rind and various dark, musky components Wet on skin: Musk, lemon rind and leather, with smooth mahogany peeping out. There's something very slightly foody, like cinnamon vanilla, but it's very discreet. It reminds me very slightly of Geek. Drydown: The drydown is very smooth, I definitely get smoothness from mahogany, vanilla, and oakmoss, to make it more elegant I can sense some very discreet cologne, while leather and musk, and probably patchouli which is present but not obvious, add a devilish heat to the blend. Overall: The overall effect of all this note is a hot, leathery blend with a deceptively gentle exterior. It's a more civilised version of Geek, which hides its truly explosive nature under a vanilla exterior. An absolutely perfect interpretation on Crowley, who isn't the rugged demon type, on the contrary, but a very civilised one. It's not the kind of blend I would wear, but on a guy - it would by mighty sexy!

In the bottle: Dusty cedar Wet on skin: Ooh? Musk, very light and cologney. Wood slightly peeks through, but generally it smells fresh and ethereal. Drydown: cedar slipping through very light musk. This musk is soft, like none I've ever smelled before. It has a definite papery quality, actually I don't smell it but I can taste it - it makes my tongue and throat dry. Or perhaps there's frankincense in there that's playing with my allergies? Yep, it's a definite possibility and it would go with the "old Bible" concept. It settles down with the cedar lifting and the parchment note becoming more prominent and leathery. Overall: A gentle, civilised but rich musk with soft sweet cedar and incensy old parchments, complete with hints of leather from the binding. This is one of these perfect librarian scents, that works very well for Aziraphale. The books are there, and his kind nature is represented by the warm light musk that I really like a lot (for once). Not something I'd wear, probably, but comforting and lovely.

In the bottle: Vetiver, smoke, salty sulphur and a hint of cool metal Wet on skin: Salty woodsmoke, it smells exactly like a bonfire after fireworks. Except for the cool hint of metal. Drydown: It's much more obviously sulphurous, exactly like gunpowder - w00t!! - with a side of woodsmoke and nails that are becoming more and more rusty. Overall: This smells exactly like it does after you've spent all day around a bonfire/barbecue and then you have a big firework display. The only note that jars you from this impression is the rusty nails, which is very very realistic to my nose, not at all the way some ozones go on me. This is a perfect representation of Agnes and a really great scent for someone fiery. I don't know if I'd wear it myself, but it beats Brimstone in my "Abby Sciuto smells like Gunpowder" search for character scents. Also, if there is vetiver here, it behaves extremely well and the blend stays true to itself.

In the bottle: Sweet, soft rose. Wet on skin: A lovely gentle floral, slightly aquatic, velvety. Drydown: Lily and rose, rather sharp and heady now, and a very good combination of the two, might I add, deep and full-bodied. I don't get the vanilla musk very strongly at first, I can smell it at time, but it's mostly the base note that grounds the blend than something I can smell directly. It's mostly rather sharp, nearly plasticky lily and some rose. Then they fade down and the vanilla musk is more obvious. Overall: It has a sharp, slightly plasticky tang in the first half hour - it's the lily mixed with the rose, lily is always so-so on my skin. After that, the vanilla musk comes out, with rose and lily giving it a pleasant floral freshness. It reminds me a bit of Pleasures by Lauder, which was one of my holy grails. If you don't like florals, I don't recommend it, but I for one will definitely keep this one for more testing, because it's very pleasant, plasticness from the lily notwithstanding. It's feminine, soft, gentle and seductive, but still fresh, definitely not a heavy or headachy floral.

In the bottle: Woods including rosewood and fresh crushed herbs Wet on skin: Rosewood and sweet herbs, maybe a hint of tonka and lemon. Drydown: It's all woods, but something in there is rather sweet and a bit perfumy, possibly the tonka. It also makes the blend a little bit creamy, woods tend to smell pretty rough on me otherwise. I wonder if it's the coriander, but this really gets pretty sweet on me, like hay, nearly. Overall: I can't discern each different wood, but the overall effect of this blend is the scent of a farm, perhaps a wooden barn full of hay, on which the sun has been shining and that's started to give off this woody, grassy scent. I don't get any mint from this, and everything just blends together seamlessly. A very nice boyish blend, fresh and simple. It's much too sweet on me, though.

In the bottle: Calla lily and other sweet florals, with a hint of plum deepening it in the background Wet on skin: Calla lily, which is a bitter greenish floral to me with a hint of ozone, and bitter smoke over it - this is sharp, dark, specially from the pimento. Drydown: The pimento and calla lily are at the forefront of the blend, and it smells a little bit woody, dark. I get hints of plum from time to time, making it a bit juicy but in keeping with the somber mood. I think I may be smelling a hint of myrrh smoke, too. Overall: It's a quiet, solemn, dark scent, and though I don't know Stardust at all, I can see how this could go for a dark sorceress. It's womanly, rich, deep, a little bit like a darker Morgause. There's some foreboding, a lot of darkness here. Too purple to be my kind of blend, and I don't like calla lily in general, but it's interesting.

In the bottle: Lemony butter note, and rose. Weird. Wet on skin: sweet buttery crust with spice, and still rose and cooked berries - the way the get sticky and thick. Drydown: Curry. Very very spicy notes, now, not cinnamon but perhaps very dry ginger or cardamom. This definitely smells like a curry-like spice, and it's overpowered everything. I barely smell anything through it. Rose does end up piercing through after a long while, but it's seriously muffled by the spice. Overall: Seriously, whichever spice is in this blend, it amps like CRAZY on me, and becomes the Curry of Doom. Any fruit, any cake, any rose is completely wiped away and the only note I get is this spice. It's a pity, because when wet, it smelled rather yummy. Oh well.

In the bottle: Hooo, Eucalyptus. Also, a dark rooty scent in the background. Wet: Eucalyptus liek whoa - very pleasant for unclogging sinuses. There's mint in there too, very much like Vicks Vapo Rub Drydown: Eucalyptus, citrus, a definitely herby quality that reminds me of herbal honey sweets. Disappears fast, leaving a cedar base. Overall: Not particularly interesting, very herby and green. Good for unclogging sinuses, but not a perfume that I'd wear.

In the bottle: Perfumy resin. Wet: dry... sneeziness? it doesn't smell of much, but it tickles my nose. It comes out as dry opium, in the end. Drydown: Dry opium, to me it's warm and smoky, exactly like poppy seeds. There's something perfumy around it, too, resinous, sneeze-inducing. Overall: Resins and smoke, mostly, this is an incensy blend and one that I don't really "get". To me it's perfumy, elegant and dark, but not at all my type of blend. Oh well.

Yikes! A spurt of wet, grassy greenness. In the bottle: CUCUMBERWHEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Very very green and juicy. Wet: Cucumber, salty and sweet at the same time, with a slightly waxy floral note that I believe to be lily of the valley (or another type of lily) Drydown: Yes, cucumber and lily of the valley. It's a soft, refreshing, cool scent that stays stable for a long while. Overall: A very lovely scent, that would be absolutely *brilliant* for showering. I love cucumber and the floral that's with it, and this will be a slather-blend for summer. Spot on!

In the bottle: A deliciously warm woody tropical scent with a hint of bergamot. Wet: it smells lovely and green, I'm guessing green sandalwood and ti leaf, as well as honey and possibly hints of blackberry. All very yum. Drydown: this is really nice... green and woodsy, exotic, a bit spicy, a bit earthy, with fruit and florals all mixing together. The honey is lovely, as is the blackberry and the various woods. I think the black musk supports the vanilla and honey extremely well, making them deep and lovely. Overall: it's a fresh and warm scent, sort of humid and languid, with woods and greenery - it really puts the drawing of Faiza with its dark green shades into my mind, and this dark hollowness that can be seen in the painting. Extreme drydown isn't so wonderful, as it becomes sort of dry and musty, a bit on the masculine aftershave side.

In the bottle: this smells like berries, to me - strange... (a similar note as in Krampus, which I find rather berry, too) Wet: this fruity note turns out to be woodsy, which is nice. It really reminds me of spicy blackberry, yum. Drydown: I like this... incensy, thick smoke, but there's this woodsy fruity scent that I can't quite place very nice. There's something musty about it, and I also think I can perceive the tobacco. The opium expresses itself by its bitter, shrill note. Overall: this is a very tart dust, with various smokes coming into it, but mostly, dust. I really like it, actually, there's something interesting and very pleasant about it. It reminds me more of bitter unripe blackberry, which is fine by me. There's something... stuffy, about it, too, which isn't that pleasant.