edenssixthday

Smut is absolutely gorgeous! It’s somehow got a very Snake Oil-ish quality to it, but sweeter and with a touch of booze. I don’t smell much in the bottle, and when I first put it on my skin, I still don’t smell much. But as the oils warm up on my skin, the first notes I smell are the musks, which is odd because I can rarely identify musk on my skin. Upon complete dry down, it becomes dark, sweet, musky and every exotic. It has the tiniest pinch of booziness. I would swear it had a swirl of vanilla in it, although the Lab description mentions nothing about vanilla. The longer I wear it, the stronger it seems to get on my skin. Wow, the next time I put it on, I’m only applying the tiniest drop. I wore it on both my skin and in a scent locket today. On the skin, the fragrance gets a faint dusty undertone at about the 2-1/2 hour point, but in a scent locket it keeps it's bright, fresh, and juicy scent for hours. This is an impeccably blended oil, and it's obvious that a lot of love and care went into this one. It's a beautiful blend, and has already achieved status as one of my favorites. Plus, it's just the most fabulous name for a fragrance. LOVE IT! I am positively thrilled that I purchased two bottles of this!

Jacob’s Ladder 2005 – I always loved the Biblical imagery of Jacob’s Ladder and the theological implications of the story so I had to try this scent and see how it matched up to the story. It’s not a bad scent. It’s nice. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best), I’d have to give it a 4. I mean, it’s not anything special at all, but it’s not bad, either. It’s a warm scent and slightly incensey. It’s something I would wear on occasion if it had more throw and if it weren’t so barely noticeable. I have to put my wrist right up to my nose in order to detect the scent and even then, it’s faint. But it leaves a burn mark on my lips and the little divet between my upper lip and nose. There’s definitely something spicy in here that my more sensitive skin doesn’t like even though it doesn’t bother my wrists. It doesn’t last very long on my skin and in general, is just not worth keeping. I know others love it, so hopefully my decant of Jacob’s Ladder will find a good, loving home. Jacob's Ladder 2006 - Although I don't think the formula has changed since last year, I definitely know my tastes have changed. 2006 smells to me just like the 2005 version, but I'm able to enjoy it so much more this time around. It's warm and slightly sweet and is the kind of blend I love to use when layering to bring a depth and fullness to other blends. Very pretty. I approve.

Medieval romance and courtly love. White rose and soft resins. Parlement of Foules is soft, sweet rose on me. The white rose isn’t as strong and lurid as red rose, and I believe it’s sweeter. I don’t pick up much on the “resins” note until a good hour or so after dry-down, and even then, it’s very soft and only discernible because I read the Lab description and knew what to look for. This is a pretty scent that I probably won’t wear often, but which will be perfect for certain occasions like attending weddings and a nice night out with my husband.

Sugar Skull 2005 is among my Worst 5 BPAL list. The instant I opened the bottle, I could smell how horrible it was. It smelled like artificial brandied apricots and synthetic burnt brown sugar had been blended with candle wax and then poured over everything for a 50-mile radius. I couldn’t escape the odor. I tried some on thinking maybe it would get better. It didn’t. It filled up every room I went in with its thick, heavy artificial sweetness. I tried washing it off and hours and hours later I could still smell in on my skin, lingering on my clothes, lingering around the edges of the rooms I had been in. I tested it again a few days later and had a similar reaction. I immediately sold my bottle and have not once regretted it. I just can’t begin to describe how awful that scent was.

Midnight Mass 2005 is a really nice, mellow incense blend. It distinctly reminds me of Catholic Mass, and since I only ever attended Catholic churches on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass, it seems very appropriately named to me. It’s mellow and liturgical and sacred. Unfortunately for me, I don’t really find myself attracted to wearing incense scents on my body, as much as I love the scent otherwise. So I passed along my bottle, but if you’re someone who likes incense scents, it would probably work well for you. Midnight Mass 2006 - This smells just like Midnight Mass 2005. I don't notice even the most remote change in formula. It's very dry and incensey, and not really my style, since I prefer my incense blended with either floral or cake notes. It's not bad, just not my speed.

Rose Red 2004 - Sniffed wet in the vial, this smells exactly like a fresh-cut, red rose. It's strong and bold and red, red, red. It reminds me why I love Rose Red '05. I'm glad to see that unlike the '05 version, '04 doesn't disappear on my skin after 10 minutes. However, it is right around the 10-15 minute point that I begin to notice a scent that's not red rose -- it's the scent of rose stems that have sat in water for a few days -- it's soft and woody, slightly pulpy. After about 30 minutes, the scent becomes significantly less red and incredibly more "green" with a strong aquatic scent about it. It definitely reminds me of sticking my nose in a vase of flowers that have been sitting in water for several days. It's not entirely unpleasant, it's just not fresh or crisp or red as it started out. I can't say much as to how it smelled when it was new, but on my skin, the past 1.5 years since it was released haven 't been good to it. I hope I can find a better home for my imp. Rose Red 2005 - This is the scent of a fresh, chilled rose -- leaves and all. I've never smelled any rose more authentic than this one. Unfortunately, it fades on me after about 15-20 minutes, leaving a whole lot of nothing. I put it on before going to my office holiday party, and by the time I arrived 15 minutes later, the scent was gone! I rate the incredible, beautiful, authentic scent extremely high, but have to rate the lasting power about as low as they go. I won't be buying more and have passed on what I had.

Gnome is an incredibly dank and earthen scent. I smell wet soil, as if it’s been dug up from beneath the surface of a garden. That’s about all I smell – dirt and earth. It reminds me of the reason I don’t like gardening – I don’t like the smell of dirt and I don’t like worms. This makes me think of both. It has way too much throw for my comfort, and it lasts and lasts and lasts. I had to wash this one off.

Hexannacht - My first impression is that this is full of the smell of forest. As it dries down, I also detect something smoky (maybe incense?) mixing with the smell of forest trees. There is also a touch of musk in this blend. Overall, it doesn’t really appeal to me. I don’t care for forest-tree scents, and I also dislike smoky scents. It does have a slight spiciness to it that is nice, but overall, it’s just not for me. The scent does stay strong on my skin for several hours, although the level of throw is fairly subtle.

Enraged Orangutan Musk is highly musky and feral on my skin, which is not something I would normally like, but I find it oddly appealing. The musk is the very first note I smell and it has a very subtle tinge of orange zest to it, but upon dry-down, a soft dirt scent begins to show itself, and maybe even... banana leaf? Could it be? This dirt/banana leaf scent remains the dominant note for about 60-90 minutes, resting on a bed of soft musk. At about the 60-90 minute point, the dirt/banana leaf scent fades and is replaced by a warm, creamy ribbon of vanilla flowing through the orangey-musk. This is a really fabulous scent. I will be using this as an every day/every situation scent -- similar to the way I use Smut. EOM is soft and subtle, but very distinctive. The throw is minimal, but the lasting power (especially for a musk on my skin) is truly phenomenal.

Cassia-caked cocoa coconut over angel food cake. Monster Bait: Underbed - When first sniffed in the vial, I found this scent bitter and unpleasant and set it aside, figuring I'd probably end up selling it. However, I can't resist testing new BPAL, so I decided to give it a test run, and I'm in love! It does have a bitter note running through it (I can't for the life of me figure out which notes are turning it somewhat bitter on my skin), but the top notes are sweet and full of yum yum yumminess! I can definitely detect some dark cocoa in the blend along with coconut. After the oil has dried down on my skin, something spicy bursts forth, and dominates the blend for about 20 minutes, at which point the spiciness mellows out and achieves a really nice balance with the other notes. Unfortunately, this turns somewhat plasticky on my skin, but I really like it and I think it will smell simply divine in an oil burner. It has kick-ass throw, so be careful when applying this that you don't slather it on!

Monster Bait: Underpants smells FABULOUS in the bottle and on my skin when I first apply it. It smells like a butterscotch ice cream sundae! It smells so good I actually licked my arm *embarrassed* (it doesn’t taste like it smells, I promise!). I don’t smell the sandalwood in it at all until about the 2.5-3 hour point, at which time, I catch the occasional waft of soft sandalwood lightly powdered with sweet, yellow saffron. Sadly, prior to getting the nice, light sandalwood scent, at about the 30 minute mark, Underpants gains a slight touch of the plastic scent that most foody scents turn to on my skin. It’s not as strongly plastic as some, but it’s definitely still there. So by the time I smell the sandalwood and saffron, their scents are co-mingled with the smell of plastic butterscotch. I put some in my oil burner and decided to test it that way, but again with the plastic smell – only this time, burnt plastic. I will give it a shot in my scent locket next, and if that’s also a no go, then sadly, I will have to give up my bottle. As for the level of throw, it’s fairly light. I don’t smell it unless I’m purposefully sniffing my skin. However, the staying power is fabulous. It’s still discernible at about the 4 hour point, which is great staying power for me and my dry skin.

Numb - While it seems that Numb is one of the least-desired LEs in BPAL history, I like it. I like it a lot. I happen to love violets, and that could be why. Numb is chock full of sweet violets, but is also very cool and powdery. It’s perfumey enough that I can’t wear it to bed at night, as I can with most of my violet scents, as I tend to find violet soothing and calming. Not Numb. But neither is it a blend that gets me all excited and revved up. I can’t find a better word to describe it than “nice.” And I mean that in the best sense possible. I don’t wear it often, but when I want that soft, powdery, violet scent, Numb is exactly what I reach for. It’s got a nice level of throw (as long as I don’t put on too much!) and it lasts longer on me than most BPALs.

Beatrice - I heard such rave reviews about how beautiful Beatrice is, so I had to try it. Because I heart BPAL rose scents so much, I was devastated to discover that I could discern absolutely nothing in the way of rose in this blend, although the jasmine was loud and clear (as usual) and something bitter creeped up from behind the jasmine, biting me in the nose. It’s a very bitter scent to me, despite all of the sweet floral. At about the 20-minute point, it began to acquire a soapiness to it, and then disappeared completely within the hour. Definitely not a scent for me.

Undine - Have you ever bought mushrooms fresh from the farmer's market, still dusted with clumps of damp soil, tossed them in a bag in the fridge, and then forgotten about them for a couple weeks? When you find the bag of mushrooms, pull it out, open it to see what that was... well, the smell you get is the smell of Undine fresh out of the bottle. I really can't describe it any other way. It smells like spoilt mushrooms and swampy soil. It's fairly unpleasant. However, upon full dry-down, the scent changes as if it's an entirely different scent. I've never had a BPAL scent change so dramatically on me. It loses its throw and sticks very close to the skin, becomes something very soft, white (?) floral, and maybe a touch aquatic. It's a much nicer scent than how it starts out, but it's still not something I'm going to wear again.

Enraged Bunny Musk - I didn’t have high hopes for this blend, as white musk doesn’t usually do much for me. As it turns out, this is a really pretty, feminine blend! It’s very subtle, leaving my skin softly scented with a touch of floral sweetness and powder. It’s really lovely. Sadly, it disappears from my skin within about 45 minutes, and it has virtually no throw once it’s dried down, which would normally have me passing it along quickly; however, this is such a soft, pretty, feminine scent that I’m going to hang on to it. I’m positive there will be days this spring (and summer) when I don’t want something strong, but just want a subtle hint of beautiful fragrance, and this is one that will be well worth re-applying when it fades.

Pumpkin Patch #1 - This is for the one with apple cider and mulling spices. When I first apply this, I really like it! The pumpkin is the strongest note, and although pumpkin rarely works on me, this one smells really warm, buttery, sweet, and good. However, within the first minute or two, the spices in the scent start to burn my skin terribly. I manage to put up with the burning (which dissipated around the 20-30 minute mark), but the apple cider scent is a very strange combination with the pumpkin. While the pumpkin is warm and rich, the apple cider smells hollow and a touch rancid. The notes are very distinct and don’t seem to blend well with each other at all. Around the time the burning sensation goes away, the oil also gains a strong plastic scent – something I only get with bakery-type foody scents, so I’m surprised this scent turns into plastic on me. I don’t see myself wearing this one again.

Pink Phoenix - First off, I want to say, who came up with the crazy idea that Pink Phoenix is "gender neutral"? This is All Girl! Upon first whiff of it wet in the bottle, I could feel my body melting into a state of bliss. Then I applied it, and I felt like I was floating on a pink cloud of pure Heaven. I had moment of temporary insanity and was ready to trade in ALL of my other BPALs for all the Pink Phoenix I could get my hands on. Upon dry-down, something just slightly bitter is evident when I put my nose up to my wrist (what is it... orange rind, perhaps?), but the air around me is fragrant with a fine pink mist. It's like pink bubblegum mixed with pink cotton candy and red licorice and all the lovely pink, sugary candies you can name -- yet it's not overly-sweet or cloying. It's just perfect. The scent has amazing throw, and lasts for hours and hours and hours. Many hours after applying, I was still getting compliment after compliment on it (some from perfect strangers who just had to know what I was wearing). After wearing it for about 8 hours, my reaction is this: I want to bathe in it! I want to fill up my tub with it and flop around like a squealy naked schoolgirl! I want to slather it all over my hair and rub it all over my body. I haven't had that kind of fanatical reaction to ANY other BPAL scent -- not even my previous faves. And yes, I have already tracked down and purchased another bottle. And OMG -- if you have Vice on hand, try layering the two. It's truly the most wonderful, soft, pink, yummy, girly combo ever.

This is Roderick Usher: a faded genteel light musk and fougere, heightened by hectic white mint, gleaming mandarin, ethereal tea leaf and gritty blackcurrant brushed by the scent of the tarn that surrounds the House, and the gloom and decay of the walls that hold him. Usher - Sniffed wet in the bottle, I don't smell much. It smells kind of...well...empty, if that makes sense. I applied it, not having looked up the description, and my first reaction was "Oh, just another tea scent." Then I realized it's not just another tea scent: it's the prettiest BPAL tea scent I've tried. It's a lovely dark tea with cream and a slight touch of fruit. It's light and subtle. I don't care to wear tea scents on my skin, but when I walked back into the room in which I initially applied the oil on my skin, the scent had lingered in the room and smelled wonderful. I can definitely see using this as a room scent, but I just can't wear tea on my skin. As with all tea blends, it faded from my skin within 20 minutes, and was very, very faint prior to that with absolutely zero throw.

The Tell-Tale Heart is going to be one of my favorite BPAL blends. Sniffing it in the vial, it smelled very foody to me, but as soon as I applied it, I thought it smelled distinctly like BPAL's Blood blend, and I thought there was no way I would wear this LE if I can get Blood (a GC) so much more easily. However, as it dried down, I realized it isn't as sharp or strong as Blood, and it has a smooth quality that Blood doesn't have. While I can't distinctly detect the cocoa note in this blend, I think that's what is giving it such a smoothness and really helps it be pretty rather than just bloody, resinous, and spicy. It's a gorgeous blend and I will definitely be wearing it regularly. The blend doesn't have much throw, and at about the 90 minute point, it starts to fade, and at the 2 hour point, it's faint, but I can still smell a bit of resinous spice on my arm and it's gained a slightly creamy quality, as if there may be a touch of vanilla in it, as well. I love it. I will be hanging on to this bottle!

The Masque is one of the most complex and gorgeous blends I've tried. When first applied, the spiciness of the carnation is evident, and I can't smell any patchouli for the life of me. It's a predominantly spicy scent when wet, as the carnation, incense, and clove stand out above the other notes. It is highly sweet when wet, and the honey note weaves itself around the spicy notes giving it a thick, heady sweetness. As it begins to dry down it becomes richer, deeper, and darker, yet remains very sweet. Upon dry-down, the scent of patchouli becomes evident and the sweetness of the honey and the darkness of the patchouli blend together to create a scent highly reminiscent of Hetairae, yet without the "strangeness" I find in Hetairae. As time goes on, the patchouli fades a bit and a more resinous amber-like scent softly and subtly takes the place of the patch. This is a complex blend, and but I can’t decide if I like the honey note very much. I like it more than most honeys, but I’m not sure I would wear it often. I find it incredibly dark and sinister despite the sweet touch of honey. This is a nighttime scent, and definitely one that will be noticed. I may just keep an imp and pass on the rest of the bottle.

Montresor - Holy black currant, Batman! Wow, this is most definitely a very strong black currant scent. It immediately takes me back to a time about 18 years ago when I was in England and I bought a pack of hard candies that were similar in consistency to a Life Saver, but had strange flavors that we don't get in the States, and the one that stands out in my memory was the Black Currant flavored candy. This perfume smells exactly like that candy -- tart, super-sugary, and fruity-sweet. I also smell the slightest touch of vanilla that seems to making an attempt to tame the currant, but ultimately, this is an incredibly dark, fruity, scent that is simultaneously tart and overwhelmingly sweet. It's a fabulously fun scent, but way too sweet in my book. I have a feeling that layering it with something musky (Smut?) or a blend with more vanilla (Snake Oil?) would really help bring the black currant sweetness back to earth a bit and make it more wearable for me. Otherwise, the throw is most just right, although it leans in the direction of being a bit much, and the lasting power is really phenomenal. This is a keeper, as long as I can find something to layer with it that will tame the cloying sweetness.

Berenice - Sniffed wet in the bottle, it smelled kind of boring and plain -- a "white" sort of scent. But as soon as it touched my skin, I fell, and I fell hard. I am in love with this fragrance! If you have ever smelled Thierry Mugler's Angel Le Lys (from the Garden of the Stars line), then you will have a really good idea of what Berenice smells like -- except Berenice is better! Similar to the way The Haunted Palace was my favorite from the DIMV line, I think Berenice may very well become my favorite from the Maelstrom line. This is a simply exquisite blend. It is sweetly floral, and has a very crystalline quality that I'm guessing comes from the aloe or the white musk. This scent is simply divine and I wish I had a multitude of bottles! It has really amazing throw, so definitely go light on it when applying! The staying power is excellent, as well.

The Premature Burial - Dirt and soil blends usually activate my gag reflex. However, I found this one to me much more palatable despite the fact that the dominant note is dirt. There was the slightest floral element to this blend, and oddly for me, I couldn't detect a single note of patchouli. The blend is incredibly dark, but it's not cold -- it's a very warm blend. The lasting power of this blend was ridiculously poor, but it could be because I only applied a touch (due to the aforementioned gag reflex when it comes to dirt/soil notes). It's not a scent I'm going to wear again due to the fact that while it didn't make me gag, I still don't like dirt notes. However, I'm positive a lot of people out there will like this blend a lot.

The Pit and the Pendulum is a really nice incense scent. It's warm and smooth and incredibly comforting. The scent in the bottle doesn't change much when it touches my skin, although it gets a little softer. This blend has only the lightest throw on my skin, not enough to notice unless my nose is near my arm. The staying power is really good. After 2 hours, it's still as strong as when I first applied it, while this is the point for me when most BPALs have started to fade. I don't really like wearing incense blends, but I think I may use this one as a nice, comforting evening scent or even use it in my oil burner. It's really a lovely blend and if you like incense, I recommend picking one up right away.

Fortunato is a lighter, younger, healthier Montresor. Everything I like about Montresor is in Fortunato and everything I dislike is absent. This is a scent of dark fruits, but not cloyingly sweet. It is smooth and robust without being in-your-face powerful. If these blends were wines, Fortunato would be a fine merlot and Montresor would be Mad Dog 20/20. Fortunato does not have the same throw or staying power that Montresor has on me, but when I tried Montresor, I said I was going to keep it if I could find something to tame the sweetness. I hadn't tried Fortunato yet. Since I have tried Fortunato, I have decided I don't need to hang on to the Montresor. Fortunato is everything I was hoping Montresor would be.