ajodasso

I hadn't expected the wood notes to play well with the musk, but, sure enough, aside from Crowley, this is the only other cologne-like scent I can carry off. If I layer it with Crowley, the effect is deeper and warmer, and it lasts much longer than either of the two does worn solo. (My OTP-to-end-all-OTPs works smashingly even in scent form. IDK, people. Ineffable.)

Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. Sweet musk and mahogany when I first put it on, plus a slight touch of citrus. As it develops, the lilac and vanilla kick in: sweetness as surprising as Crowley's endearing vulnerability! If I layer this with Aziraphale, the resulting effect is ethereal. Which shouldn't surprise me at all...

Patchouli can go either way for me, very good or very bad, depending on what it's blended with. Fortunately, the amber and hyssop are enough to keep it in check. I've worn this as an overlay to Mr. Ibis and found it works well!

This may be one of the only scents where I can catch almost all of the notes, both in bottle and on skin, minus the papyrus. It doesn't last very long, which is a shame, but I like it enough to keep it!

There's an incense that Pan's Pantry used to make called God's Smile. On my skin, this smells exactly like God's Smile on full burn. I can't find the ingredients on their website anymore, and more's the pity!

The snowdrop, iris, and lily are all true to form when I sniff this in the bottle. Can't detect hemlock, not even when I put it on. What a brilliant combination. I wouldn't ever have thought to combine these florals.

The incense-like quality overlays the hint of metal beautifully. I can't smell anything like blood, but there's a definite metallic edge. I hadn't expected this one to be so wearable, but resinous scents tend to play well on my skin.

Sugary/honey scents are almost always awful on me, but the tea notes save this one, and spectacularly, too! I was tipsy at a friend's place the first time I ever put some of this on, and I loved it so much I was raving by the end of the night. It stays put for hours.

The amber, rockrose, and tonka are what I can smell on my skin, although I can perceive the other resins in the bottle. This is a winter scent, definitely. Also, I can't say why, but it's one of my favorite labels, as understated as the image is!

Hell and back for a bottle of this, and I'm not sorry... It's the sweetest, warmest, brightest amber I've ever met. It reminds me of an amber-oil blend I had in high school that I'd got from a local New Age shop. Pure nostalgia <3

The heliotrope, lily, and copal really make this one a keeper for me. Just enough florals, just enough resin. If they weren't such a lovely triumvirate, I'd be disappointed that those three overpower everything else for me!

When I want absolute rose overkill, this is what I wear. I swear I can smell resonances of just about any rose varietal that I can recognize by scent alone, and that's at least five or six. This is a marvel of layering within a single type of floral note(s). I'll always keep it in stock!

This is all bright, golden lily both in the bottle and on my skin. It's almost fruity, even! I have to be in a particular mood to wear it, but when I am, it hits the spot.

Rose and amber are great on me in nearly all incarnations, so I was devastated to come across this one only after it had sold out. However, I kept an eye out on eBay and in other places where people tend to sell/swap, and, amazingly, I found one a few months ago. The dry, herbal, sweet straw note doesn't overpower the well balanced rose and amber; it's very quickly becoming my most frequently worn BPAL scent. The Marchens so far are 3 for 3 as far as how much I love the ones I've tried!

Sweet, light, chilly, and refreshing: this is Black Hellebore's shy little sister. Anything containing hellebore works beautifully on me, and this is no exception!

... Hellebore resembles the wild rose, but does not belong to their family. The scent is a pale green herbal, darkly rooty, with a faint rose and peony-like overtone. This both sniffs in the bottle and wears like a darker, greener, earthier version of Christmas Rose. After a few hours, I've just got the enigmatic sweetness of the blossoms on dry-down.

I'd been ogling this one for ages, but the fir note made me hesitant, as pine doesn't always go well on me... I got an imp about a month ago, however, and I used it up so quickly that a 5ml became mandatory. I grew up loving hyacinths, and I can smell them in this to perfection. The ocean water and jasmine make for a nice background. I can't smell fir at all.

I'm reminded of the bright, cold sweetness of Dust of Snow and Archangel Winter, both in the bottle and when I apply this! The primary difference is a slight, watery green undertone: I can actually pick up the wild lettuce. Delicious.

This goes on with a kind of wet, green-ish scent backed by frankincense; it reminds me of how tomato plants smell. After about an hour or so, that rather prickly greenish scent fades, and I'm left with a good balance of musk, pomegranate, and rose. I haven't tried the original version yet, but I have a bottle on the way.

On me, this incarnation of Blue Moon tends to stay just this side of soapy. I have it more for archival/comparison purposes than anything else. It goes incredibly commercial-perfume-like on my skin for the first hour or so, to the point where it almost gives me a headache. As it dries down, it's a actually quite pretty: juniper and mugwort backed by dark florals. I wish it went on like that and stayed!

Where I never got the cucumber on my skin with Blue Moon 2004 (seeing as this has been compared to it), I definitely get it here! Until Blue Moon 2012 landed on my doorstep last week, I definitely thought this was going to persist as my replacement for BM '04. Dewy, white, delicate florals with just a hint of cucumber behind it; it smells pretty much the same in the bottle as on my skin, which doesn't happen often.

Amazingly, I'm able to wear this! I agree that in the bottle it's a bit more peppery and herbal and less sweet than actual India ink. On my skin, it turns into a dark, sweet, resinous anisette. It's the most fascinating BPAL scent I've ever encountered.

By whatever accident of fate, Blue Moon 2012 smells almost exactly like the original Blue Moon [2004] did on me. I loved the cucumber note on the original, but it only really came out in the bottle for me; as soon as I put it on, the soft, warm, complex pale nighttime florals would bloom and stay for hours. I'm thirty minutes in and it hasn't faded. I hope it has the same staying power! In the meantime, the real question is whether I can afford a second bottle to stash away... I am never, ever losing track of this beautiful thing again if I can help it.