edenssixthday

Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger. Kumiho is supposed to be white tea and ginger, but it reminds me of antiseptic bathroom cleaning products. It’s a little too clean and crisp for my taste. It has a moderate level of throw, but the lasting power (on me) is poor.

Kuang Shi is not the type of scent I’d wear often, but I like it. It’s crisp and clean, full of citrus and fruit. The mango is the dominant note on my skin and I love it because it’s so different from any other BPAL scent I’ve tried. The mandarin gives it a little zip, and the musk rounds out the scent. I don’t smell the sandalwood in the scent at all. This is another fragrance that is strongly reminiscent of my trips to Hawaii. It’s got great throw – you can smell it from a foot or two away, but it’s subtle enough to not be overpowering in the least. Perfect for summer time wear.

Kitsune-Tsuki is so pretty! If you love Budding Moon, Kitsune-Tsuki would make a terrific GC replacement – must be the plum/musk/floral combo in both that make them so similar – but not replicas of one another. I am absolutely delighted to find another BPAL scent with jasmine in it that I can wear. I actually don’t smell the jasmine at all in this blend. It’s light and pretty and has just the right amount of throw. This is staying in my collection and getting worn often this coming spring.

Imp - Incredibly fruity and way too sweet – like a bowl of fruit that has sat in the sun for too long, grown soft and rotten, and has started to ooze fruit juice into the bottom of the bowl. Upon dry-down, it’s still ultra-sweet, but smells like raisins smothered in honey. Simply too sweet for me. The throw is out-of-this-world and I felt extremely self-conscious while running my errands as I wore Imp. I felt like everyone around me must be wondering what rotten fruit I was carrying around in my pockets.

Hellcat smells nice in the vial, like the scent of a sweet Werther's butterscotch right before you pop it into your mouth. The moment it touched my skin, however, it turned into the most rancid-smelling and vile foody blend I think I've ever experienced. Now, as you read this, keep in mind that bakery-type foody scents and I don't mix well. But this is worse than most. In this case, it's not just a matter of disliking it, it's a matter of it really turning on my skin. However, for those who like the foody scents, this has got some really kick-ass throw, and the staying power is really incredible.

Hell’s Belle is strong and heady, thick with magnolia and spice. It reminds me of something I’d smell on a genteel old lady who is armed with a sugary-sweet Southern Belle drawl. This scent definitely has its charms, but the magnolia is too strong for me. I love magnolias and am always thrilled by springtime visits back to the South, but it’s just too rich for me to wear in a perfume. I feel like I’m probably highly offensive to others even when I have only the tiniest drop of this fragrance on, and it makes me incredibly self-conscious, and that’s not the experience I want from a perfume. After the full dry-down, this also takes on a slightly candle-wax type “after-scent” to it that makes it all the more unpleasant for me. I’m glad I tried it, as it evoked imagery from my past life in the Deep South, but it’s got to go.

Fenris Wolf is a highly masculine scent. Even before I went back and checked the Lab description I knew this had to have been created as a men’s oil. I don’t know many women who could pull something off that’s this masculine. I don’t think I’d want my man to smell like this, however. I think I’d find him less appealing, although maybe it would work on a different type of man with a different personality. The strongest notes are rosewood and sandalwood and it smells a little dusty to me, too. I don’t really care for this scent. It makes me think of antique dining room furniture or an old Victorian hotel that has a remarkable amount of woodwork collecting dust in the lobby.

Eternal - This is all gardenia from the get-go. It's strong and heady and pungent. After it has a chance to dry down on my skin, however, the other notes (although I can't distinguish any single one of them in this blend) help soften the sharp gardenia and it becomes a really beautiful floral that is still predominantly gardenia, but not strong and heady as it typicall is. This is the first gardenia scent that I believe I can wear and wear well. Just lovely. It has a nice level of throw (a little above average) and lasts for about 4-5 hours.

Dublin is one of those evergreen scents that makes me feel like a car freshener that's just been taken out of its packaging. It's bright, crisp, and pungent. I don't smell the rose in this blend at all -- the evergreen notes completely overpower anything floral. If someone likes pine/evergreen blends, they'd probably love this. However, I feel like everyone around me is sniffing and wondering where I'm keeping the little green tree-shaped air freshener.

Dracul - Based on the scent description, I thought I was going to hate this blend. Beth has surprised me once again! It is gorgeous. I mean, really, truly beautiful. It’s a heavy scent yet it’s subtle on my skin and there is hardly any throw. When I sniff my skin up close, the first notes I detect are clove and mint, and I must say, this may be the first scent with mint in it that I really like. There’s just the tiniest drop of mint, and it’s got the clean, crisp, green scent of a peppermint leaf pulled right off the plant dropped into your tea or water. The oil has a slightly powdery scent to it, which I immediately recognize as orange blossom, as it’s what orange blossom always does on my skin – it’s gorgeous, just slightly powdery. All of this is layered over a bed of soft, but deep and dark musk and a touch of wood. I’m sad at how subtle this is on my skin, as I think it would kick some serious ass in my world if it had better throw. I really like this one and will try it again before I decide whether or not it’s too subtle for my taste.

Djinn - This is the most true-to-live smoke-and-ash scent I’ve experienced. It smells exactly like a campfire pit at the end of the night, when you’re covering up all of the embers before climbing into your tent. The throw is about average, as is the staying power. It’s definitely an authentic scent, but not one I want to wear as a perfume.

Death on a Pale Horse - When I first apply this, I don’t like it at all. It has too many notes in it that I don’t normally care for (yuzu, mint, lavender, patch, vetiver, bourbon); however, once it dries, it mellows significantly and the dominant notes on me are the white musk, lavender and calla lily, and they blend together gorgeously. This isn’t going to be one I’d wear often, but it really did turn out a lot nicer than I expected initially. The throw is light and the staying power seems to be about 2.5 – 3 hours on my skin.

Chaos Theory 3: CCCLIII - This reminds me strongly of Snowblind, although the friend I split the bottle with says it reminds her more of Tulzscha or Bombshell Bath's Snow Monkey. Either way, to me, it's entirely vanilla and mint, and whatever mint is used, it's the only kind I like. It's sweet and crisp without being sharp and biting. I was very excited the first time I tried this, because after a couple of hours of wear, it hadn't taken on a Play-Doh scent and it had a really nice level of throw. Sadly, however, the two times I've worn it since, it's taken on the Play-Doh note within 60 minutes of application. It's still so pretty that I will try it in a scent locket and if that fails, in my oil burner. Chaos Theory 3: CCCLXVII - This is one of the most amazingly gorgeous BPAL blends I have ever encountered. I cannot express how fortunate I feel to have received this particular bottle. It's so lovely. It's basically like Storyville with vanilla instead of ginger, and much stronger. It's hard to describe -- vanilla, a touch of cocoa, lightly boozy and some light musk in the background. It's such a pretty fragrance, and every time I wear it, I can smell it wafting around me for hours afterward, and I just breath it in as deeply as I can to enjoy the pleasurable experience that is this amazing scent. I can't believe I only have one bottle -- and will only ever have one bottle. This one's not going anywhere. I'm keeping it close. Gorgeous!

Chaos Theory 2: CCXXVII (227) - The decanter who sent this to me wrote "a very soft almond vanilla" on the back of the label. I think she is right. However, the almond is, more specifically, bitter almond and is the dominant note in this blend. The vanilla is sweet and soft, and overall, this scent reminds me of those candied Jordan almonds that are handed out at weddings as party favors. Once this blend dries down on my skin, I become absolutely convinced that there's a drop of mint or eucalyptus in this blend, too, as it chills my sinuses when I breath the scent in. It's a strange scent and not one I'd be likely to wear as a fragrance, although I imagine it would smell gorgeous in my oil burner. Chaos Theory 2: LXXXIX (89) - The person I received my sample of this from wrote "peppermint, rose, lily - very soft" on the back of the label. I don't believe peppermint is the right mint; rather, I'm inclined to think that this is a wintergreen blend, although it doesn't yell "CERTS!" quite as loudly as most wintergreen scents do on me. The wintergreen overwhelms all of the other notes, and while I can tell there are florals in this blend, I'll have to take the decanter's word on it that it's lily and rose. I'm not a fan of any sort of mint, so I'll be passing this one on. ADDED Sept. 20: LXXXIX (89) - The top note in this blend is most definitely wintergreen. It's strong, bright, fresh, and clean. Underneath it is the soft, gentle scent of cucumber, and I think that underlying cucumber note makes the wintergreen bearable to me for the first time ever -- it makes it softer and more subtle, so that it doesn't blast CERTS!!! all around me. I really like that combo! Swirling in and out of the cucumber is a clean, aqua-blue aquatic scent, that makes the cucumber and wintergreen cool and more watery than they already are. I am almost certain that there is a sugar note blended in with this, as well, because it's sweeter than I would expect from the wintergreen or cucumber notes by themselves. I think this is the first minty scent I've ever worn that I don't immediately find unappealing and untolerable. It's very clean, fresh, crisp, and sweet. Definitely a winner!

Bastet - When I first apply this scent, all I smell is the sharp, pervasive scent of sweet almond. It overwhelms everything else. As the almond wears off (which only takes a few minutes), it leaves behind the most incredibly smooth and warm amber and saffron scent. It is very soft, with very little throw, but it's really mellow and soothing. I really like this scent and can see myself wearing it during cozy evenings at home.

Baobhan Sith - This is an absolutely gorgeous blend! I'm thrilled that it's come back into the catalog, too! The grapefruit is the dominant note, and when I first apply it, I can't detect any other notes blended with the grapefruit. However, as it dries down, other notes begin to shine through, and the blend overall becomes very white and light, as slivers of bright, white tea, crisp apple, and the bite of fresh ginger throw themselves into the mix. It's a sharp and crisp blend, yet somehow also smooth around the edges. This is a very pretty grapefruit blend, and one I can see myself wearing all year 'round. It has a nice level of throw and for me, the staying power is moderate to light.

Akuma - Sweet and fruity, this is going to become a staple in my BPAL repertoire. The orange and raspberry blend so perfectly well together that it’s hard to distinguish between the two. This is a fresh and fruity scent with moderate throw and moderate staying power. I’m looking forward to layering this one with Bliss!

Ochosi - This is a very woodsy scent full of dry leaves. I don't usually like leaves and forest scents, but this one is warm and smooth and really nice. It has average throw and wear length. Despite thinking it's a surprisingly nice scent, it's still not something I would choose over my other favorite scents, but I imagine someone who likes forest-type scents would really enjoy this one.

Malediction - Wow, this is one heck of a strong, dry, pungent, dark and scratchy scent. It's obvious instantly that red patchouli is in this as well as vetiver -- which are both notes that I can rarely wear well. It has really amazing throw and the tiniest test dab on my arm had me surrounded with this dirty hippie scent for hours. Strangely, after a couple hours, I realized that I was actually kind of enjoying the scent. It seems to mellow quite a bit after a while, despite how powerful it is initially. This is probably not something I'm going to wear on its own, but it would be a really good scent for layering and adding depth to another scent. I tried it first with Snake Oil (since I'm of the belief that most things layer well with Snake Oil) and the results weren't as spectacular as I had hoped, and I won't be doing that combo again. Next, I'm going to try it with Bengal or Scherezade.

Lughnasadh - This starts off with a strong fresh and crisp apple note, followed almost immediately by the scent of strong mulling spices. As it dries down, it takes on a hint of pumpkin scent. It is very light on my skin and has very little throw. Of all the apple/pumpkin scents out there, this is probably my favorite, but in general, I still don’t care for it. I’m just not really into this type of autumnal scent, I suppose. (July 06)

Roadhouse - This is predominantly the bitter green, milky-weedy scent of dandelion combined with the scent of dry grasses and tobacco. I don't smell the booze note in this scent at all. To me, this is an unpleasant scent and smells like something that would trigger my allergies. It reminds me of your generic every day truck stop in any random Dust Bowl town in somewhere on the Great Plains. Moderate level of throw and staying power.

Toxin - I do not believe there is a more perfect summer scent than Toxin. This is really an incredible scent. I am blown away by the fact that it contains some sort of lemon note (lemon verbena, perhaps? Or is it actually grapefruit???) that works well on me! Several reviewers mentioned that it's aquatic in nature, and it does seem that way initially, but in the end, I've determined that (at least on me) it's a lot more ozoney than aquatic. There's a hint of white floral in this, and overall, this reminds me a lot of Szepassony with citrus overtones. It's gorgeous, summery, and really beautiful.

Wolfsbane - This scent is very primal and earthy, full of the scent of dry leaves, herbs, and soft woods. It's not a scent for me in the least, but I imagine that people who go for the leafy/woodsy/foresty scents might very much like this one because it really is interesting -- slightly leaf-sweet and slightly herb-bitter. The throw is moderate, but the staying power is really good, as it lasts for a good 4-5 hours on my skin.

Hungry Ghost Moon - This lunar blend opens up with a very Asian quality, but as it dries down, that quality recedes and I’m left with something that is so incredibly gorgeous, but which I can barely begin to describe. It actually reminds me of a commercial fragrance, but I can’t think of which one. I'm actually getting frustrated trying to figure out what perfume this is reminding me of! It’s soft and subtle, but I catch wafts of it when I least expect it – something I rarely experience with the lunar blends, since they usually stick very close to my skin. Once it dries down the notes that seem to dominate are the white musk and aloe with a bit of rice wine and sugar cane mixed in above the tiniest drop of white sandalwood. It’s a beautiful blend and I am very pleased with how well it works on me. Sadly, as with most lunar blends, it does fade on me within the first hour. But I don’t think I’ll mind reapplying this one. And it just occurred to me that I have some Arbonne ginger citrus body butter that this is going to layer with divinely. This is definitely the best lunar blend of 2006, and probably one of the top 3 best of all time (IMHO).

Et Luxe Fuit - This blend is chock full of notes that I just love…and a few that I don’t. Naturally, the lemon and the honeycomb, which aren’t usually too good on me, were the dominant notes. I couldn’t distinguish any other specific notes, despite knowing what is in the blend. It is definitely a bright, sunny, happy, and joyous fragrance, and it wasn’t entirely a negative experience, but the lemon and honey are so strong and those are two notes that just don’t appeal to me that much. Thankfully, the lemon smells bright and citrusy, and not at all like lemon Pledge or a Lemonhead. While the overall scent is subtle, I would occasionally catch a waft of the scent swirling around me, and I really felt torn as to what I thought of it. On one hand, it really is so bright and cheery, but on the other hand, the lemon and (even more so) the honey were just a tad bit too strong for me. I’ll have to give this another shot, but even if I decide to keep one of my bottles, there’s no way I’m going to ever go through the second.