edenssixthday

Rosewood - a-HA! Now I know why the Imp of the Perverse smells so rancid on me -- because it's chock full of rosewood, and rosewood apparently smells like ass on my skin. It's all beginning to make sense now. It's also the reason I curl up my nose at Kostnice and Fenris Wolf. No wonder. The single note smells exactly like the name implies - a woody rose, but on my skin, there's also this sharp and putrid after-scent that makes this scent thoroughly unpalatable. It has a moderate level of throw when wet, but sticks pretty close to my skin once it dries. The staying power is about average for a single note.

Blue Lilac - Oh wow, I can't get over what a beautiful and dead-on scent this is. It reminds me of springtime. I used to have a home that was surrounded by lilac bushes and for a couple weeks each spring, I had fresh sprigs of lilacs in my house every day. This takes me back 11 years to that home and that wonderful springtime that was so full of fresh lilac blossoms. The throw is out of control, so a little will go a very long way. The staying power is about average on my skin -- about two hours of good fragrance, a third hour of so-so fragrance, and by the end of the fourth hour, it's completely gone. I love to swap my single notes for other single notes so I can try them all, but this may be one you'll have to pry out of my cold, dead hands.

Roman Chamomile - When I first apply this and it's wet, it smells heavy and stringent and reminds me a lot of lavender. However, as it dries, it gains that lovely, gorgeous scent that is the reason I adore most Roman Chamomile oil blends I've encountered in my life. BPAL Roman Chamomile is very soft, wispy, and herbal upon drydown. It's incredibly relaxing and calming. The scent doesn't last worth beans on my skin, but I think it would smell gorgeous if burned in an oil burner, which is how I have traditionally used most of my Roman Chamomile oils in the past.

Pomegranate - This is a nice, fruity scent, but nothing like what I expected. I expected it to be bursting with juiciness and strongly vibrant and very, very red. Rather, it's a lot more subtle than I'd expected and not as sweet as I'd hoped. The scent fades on my skin rather quickly, as well. I'm glad it works better on me when blended with other notes, such as the lovely experience I have with Swank. On its own, I'm not particularly impressed and actually prefer a non-BPAL pomegranate single note that I have.

Heliotrope - This is the prettiest single note by far. I had no idea how much I would like heliotrope. I find that most commercial perfumes with heliotrope in them are very bitter and unpleasant. BPAL Heliotrope SN, however, is sweet, and very, very creamy, almost like a vanilla-based floral. This is the type of scent I don't need to use as a layering note -- it's gorgeous on its own. I'm going to definitely keep my eye peeled for more BPAL Heliotrope SN and BPAL blends with heliotrope in the ingredient list.

Frankincense - Ooh, it's fabulous to smell this one on its own. I've discovered that in most cases, BPAL frankincense (unlike any other brand of frankincense) works marvelously on my skin. Faustus (tons of frankincense) is one of my favorite BPAL GC blends, in fact. Frankincense SN is much darker, huskier, and smokier than I had anticipated. I'm guessing that once it's included in blends, the other notes usually serve to temper it and keep it from being so thoroughly dark and menacing. Still, it's very sexy and beautiful on its own. It doesn't have much throw on its own, but it stays and stays and stays all day long. I'm so glad I had a chance to try this single note!

Freesia - The only other freesia I'm familiar with is from Bath & Body Works and I never really cared for it because it was just so subtle and plain. I smelled it again last fall when I bought some for a friend for Christmas (it's her favorite) and I just couldn't understand why anyone would like freesia. I decided to see what BPAL Freesia SN smells like just in case it smelled better than I expected. Wow, am I ever surprised by this scent! It's completely different from B&BW Freesia, thankfully! When first applied, Freesia SN is very bright and green and almost like a lighter, more palatable version of Dandelion SN. As it dries, it gets an almost pineapple-like quality to it. Not just pineapple fruit, but the whole thing -- the fruit, the outer shell and even the little green pineapple topper leaves. This scent reminds me of driving through Hawaii near one of the huge pi neapple plantations. How strange, as I would have never ever thought of that association prior to smelling this. Sadly, the throw completely fades upon dry-down and the scent is completely gone within 30 minutes of application.

Mimosa - I wanted so badly to love Mimosa, and while it doesn't smell at all like what I expected, it really is beautiful. The scent is not a typical floral -- it's sweet and pink, almost like a soft fruity-floral. Even though it's subtle, it's definitely unique and makes me think of a non-spicy, sweetish carnation. It's pretty, but it's also got the tiniest twinge of soapiness to it. It actually has a lovely level of throw and a tiny bit on my wrist wafts nicely around my entire body and I think if I can avoid sniffing my skin up close, I will really like wearing this on its own, as it doesn't carry that heady quality or soapy quality with it as it wafts around. It's just a very sweet, pink, pretty floral. Lovely.

Light Myrrh - well, this perfectly answers my confusion as to why I like myrrh sometimes and not others. I apparently like dark myrrh and dislike light myrrh. The light myrrh is very woody, yet pungent in it's own strange and arid way. It's thick, heavy, and very dusty. I don't like this one at all. It has way too much throw for such an unpleasant scent. I don't know how long it lasts because I'm going to go wash it off now...

Siberian Musk - This is very similar to Red Musk, only lighter. It's still a dark, juicy, sweet and warm musk, but not as heavy as Red Musk. As I smell this musk, I can instantly recognize its use in Smut (I'm also positive Red Musk is in Smut). It's also possibly used in Snake Oil -- and maybe the reason why I can layer Snake Oil and Smut so well together! This scent is very strong and a little goes a very long way. It also lasts for several hours, which is quite unusual for a single note, although the lovely level of throw fades after about 90 minutes. I do notice, however, that around the 3-4 hour point, the scent has gotten so sweet that it begins to smell a lot like root beer, but it's still very nice and pretty. I'm so glad I got to try this and I will treasure what little I have left. This is a single note that can be worn very, very well on i ts own.

Black Poppy - I have never smelled an actual black poppy, so I don't know what they smell like or if this scent is true to life or not. However, I have made my way through the haze of an opium den, and I can tell you that this scent is a dead ringer for the sweet, wonderful scent of opium smoke. (And no, I've never smoked opium myself, just smelled others smoking it.) It's beautiful and dark and almost incense-like in its husky sweetness. It reminds me the slightest bit of carnation single note, but darker and just a touch soapier. Overall, this is a gorgeous single note that I will happily wear both by itself and as a layering note to bring out the black poppy/opium notes in other BPAL blends.

Dragon’s Blood is a nice dragon’s blood scent, but not my favorite. It is mellower than I thought it would be, and doesn’t have the “oomph” that I like in a good dragon’s blood blend. And while none of the dragon’s blood blends turn to soap on me, the pure dragon’s blood does. Not only that, but after sniffing it, I taste soap in my mouth! It’s got a really nice level of throw and lasts for hours, although it’s very subtle on my skin.

Dragon’s Milk - I was really hoping I’d like this blend, as I tend to like both dragon’s blood and vanilla. However, from the first moment I sniffed until long after dry-down, the dragon’s blood was the dominant note, but it was sweetened way too much by the presence of both honey and vanilla. One or the other I could have probably enjoyed, but both together with the dragon’s blood weakened the dragon’s blood scent, and made it seem, well, milky (hence the name, I suppose?) I got the impression that the honey and vanilla were weakening the dragon’s blood the way a glass of milk is weakened when water is added. I passed it along to someone who enjoyed it much more than I.

Dragon's Heart is a fruity Dragon's Blood -- but not overly sweet with fruit, more of a soft, smooth, almost savory fruit note to it that combined with the full body scent of the resinous dragon's blood. It's got the perfect amount of throw, it lasts very a good 4-5 hours on my skin, and when layered with a drop of Kabuki, it's even prettier. I'll be keeping this on hand. I really like it!

Dragon's Tears is an absolutely gorgeous Dragon's Blood scent. For the first two hours, it smells strongly of lilac and is sweet and tempting. I can't stop sniffing my skin! After about two hours, a saltiness quietly moves into the mix, balancing out the sweetness. This is a gorgeous blend, and one I'll wear over and again. It lasts about 4 hours on my skin, and has the perfect level of throw.

Dragon’s Reverie - Oooooh, this is pretty! The dragon’s blood in this blend smells very strongly of lilac – similar to Dragon’s Eye. Yet the opium gives it a charge of sweetness and the amber resins deepen the scent to create a dragon’s blood blend that is truly spectacular. This is a decadent blend, very exotic and sensual. It has really strong throw when wet, but as it dries it sticks closer to my skin. Like most dragon’s blood blends, it lasts for hours upon hours on my skin. This is a keeper.

Dragon’s Eye - This is one of the most gorgeous Dragon’s Blood scents I’ve encountered in my life. I think it’s due to the lilac note, which is sweet and strong – stronger than the Dragon’s Blood. In the background, I sense the soft sweetness of lily of the valley. Two of my favorite flowers in one blend – I’m a very happy camper! This has the perfect amount of throw – noticeable without being claustrophobic. And while it doesn’t last as long on my skin as pure Dragon’s Blood, it’s got pretty good staying power. I’m going to wear this one a lot!

Dragon's Hide - I usually like Dragon's Blood and I occasionally like leather, but the combination of the two does a whole lot of nothin' for me. I'm neither excited by it nor do I find it unpleasant. It's just kind of there and I find myself pretty indifferent toward it. The leather is definitely stronger than the Dragon's Blood, but the Dragon's Blood still serves to mellow out the leather. I find this scent so boring that I won't bother with it again.

Dragon's Claw is extremely woody. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but once I put it on, it was most definitely full of dragon’s blood and dry, arid sandalwood. It’s an extremely simple blend that doesn’t morph or change at all, yet I imagine sandalwood lovers could really enjoy this – even those who don’t usually like dragon’s blood. It’s too woody for my personal taste, but something I imagine a lot of other people could carry off really well.

Dragon's Bone - Dragon's Blood is usually really strong on me, but combined with the other notes in this particular blend, it's fairly subtle. White sandalwood is the strongest note, giving this blend a dry and hollow scent that seems to get more brittle with time. Despite being so subtle, it lasts about 3 hours on my skin, which is fairly good, considering how dry my skin is.

Dragon’s Musk is by far my favorite Ars Draconis blend so far. It simply a gorgeous dragon’s blood blend. Somehow the musk blends with the dragon’s blood to give it not just a highly musky scent, but it’s warm and slightly sweet in an animalistic way. This blend is a deep red and I would never wear it with anything that could possibly stain if the tiniest drop landed in the wrong spot. The blend has a really nice level of throw, and leaves me feeling very comforted. I think it would be a really nice evening-at-home scent, and maybe even a bedtime blend. It’s heavy and not the kind of scent one would want to wear outdoors on a beautiful spring day. The scent lasts and lasts and lasts on my skin, as most dragon’s blood scents do, but musks don’t usually last on me, so I’m just thrilled at how long this lasts. It’s gorgeous, and bottle-worthy. If I were rating this, it gets one of my very highest ratings.

Innocent, soft and pure: sweet pea, carnation and water lily. Desdemona - Initially, this smells like it’s going to be a nice floral, but rather quickly, it turns entirely into a floral soap – and not just any floral soap, but cheap floral soap. I’m rather surprised that the carnation note in this blend doesn’t take over the other notes with it’s lovely spicy scent, and I’m even more surprised that the carnation does not show up on me at all. As time goes by, the soapiness of the scent becomes stronger and stronger to the point where after about 30-45 minutes I have to wash it off. I can’t get rid of the soapy scent completely, but washing it tones it down to the point where it’s not choking me with every breath I take. Into the swap pile this goes!

Titus Andronicus is much too dark and masculine for my taste. The muskiness was beautiful combined with the deep amber, but the frankincense had to mix in with it and screw everything up. The frankincense made the scent too dark and bitter for me to even want to try out on my husband. The sandalwood was a nice touch, but I don’t wear sandalwood well (although I often enjoy the scent itself). Fortunately for me, it didn’t last long on my skin, which is unusual for most BPAL blends with amber. I have passed it along to a friend who loves it.

Othello - Of all the traditionally masculine scents I’ve tried so far, Othello is by far my favorite. I’m not sure why this isn’t considered gender neutral. It’s so pretty and reminds me a lot of Fae in its muskiness and in the type of sweetness, although it’s not overwhelmingly sweet or cloying. It’s sophisticated, strong, and warm, while simultaneously being bright, sweet, and clear. I love it and I’ll be wearing this scent, although I’m positive my husband would smell abfab in it, too. This scent has a level of throw that is just right when it’s fresh on my skin, but it has below-average staying power, as after an hour, I can barely smell it even when I sniff my skin up close. I just can’t get over what a pretty scent this is – I should have been able to guess in advance since I tend to like most of the Illyria scents. And for the record, this layers beautifully with Gaueko!

Jester - Back in 1992, I went to the Minnesota Rennaisance Festival and picked up a perfume oil blend from a vendor. It turned out to be my #1 favorite fragrance of all time. The problem was, I couldn't locate that perfume oil ever again. I have searched and searched for the past 13 years for either that fragrance or one very similar. I have kept that original oil on hand with a few drops left in it for reference as I'm comparing new oil scents, and I've been completely unsuccessful at finding a substitute for my all-time favorite perfume oil blend. And then I met "Jester." Jester is strikingly similar to that original oil I fell in love with, and naturally I was instantly intrigued with it. It's not as warm or smooth as the other one -- it's juicier, crisper, and tarter -- but really nice in its own right. Upon first application, the huckleberry note is really strong, juicy, and sweet. I feel incredibly "fruity" when wearing it. And the scent really lingers -- and not just close to the skin. It only take a teeny tiny bit to make me and the whole room I'm in smell wonderfully alive and "freshly juiced" -- which is amazing because with my dry skin, I usually have to apply much more when using a fragrance oil. After about 30-45 minutes, the juiciness of the scent calms down, and the spiciness of the neroli really starts to shine. But the strange thing is that the scent lingering around my person in general is still that fresh, crisp, juicy scent, while the spicy bite of neroli is what I smell when I sniff my arm up close. I love the way this incredibly simple blend (huckleberry, red currant, neroli) is so complex in the way it manifests itself on my body. I have quite a bit of Jester in my life now, and will probably use every last drop eventually.