euterpe414

It wasn't a dark and stormy night. It should have been, but that's the weather for you. For every mad scientist who's had a convienient thunderstorm just on the night his Great Work is finished and lying on the slab, there have been dozens who've sat around aimlessly under the peaceful stars while Igor racks up the overtime. But don't let the fog (with rain later, temperatures dropping to around forty-five degrees) give anyone a false sense of security. Just because it's a mild night doesn't mean that dark forces aren't abroad. They're abroad all the time. They're everywhere. They always are. That's the whole point. Two of them lurked in a ruined graveyard. Two shadowy figures, one hunched and squat, the other lean and menacing, both of them Olympic-grade lurkers. If Bruce Springsteen had ever recorded "Born to Lurk," these two would have been on the album cover. They had been lurking in the fog for over an hour now, but they had been pacing themselves and could lurk for the rest of the night if necessary, with still enough sullen menace left for a final burst of lurking around dawn. Finally, after another twenty minutes, one of them said: "Bugger this for a lark. He should have been here hours ago." The speaker's name was Hastur. He was a Duke of Hell. Smoky-sour labdanum, black patchouli, wet tobacco, and brimstone. Wow, I looove this one. At first it starts out very very similar to the Forbidding Foyer on my skin- smoky patchouli, wood and brimstone (no cognac, though). As it dries, the tobacco really comes to the forefront and combines with the labdanum to make a sweet resinous blend with a dark, shadowy background. I do think this is a great 'dark and lurking' kind of scent, because it does not have a lot of throw, but rather sticks very close to the skin (yet it is not faint or weak in any way). It lasts for a few hours at least on my skin, and as it fades I am left with a sweet tobacco. Wonderful scent, and definitely one that should make tobacco lovers very, very happy.

"What's this Crowley like?" said Ligur. Hastur spat. "He's been up here too long," he said. "Right from the Start. Gone native, if you ask me. Drives a car with a telephone in it." Ligur pondered this. Like most demons, he had a very limited grasp of technology, and so he was just about to say something like, I bet it needs a lot of wire, when the Bentley rolled to a halt at the cemetery gate. Dry olibanum, black moss, soggy ti, khus, and opoponax. Eeek! I'm first.... I'll try my best, so here goes... In the bottle this one is very, very dark, earthy and heavy on the black moss; I really adore dark, earthy BPAL blends and this is one of the darker ones that I have smelled in a while. Once it hits my skin it is a very damp mossy smell with a tiny hint of resin in the background. As it dries there is a smokiness that comes to the forefront (which I am thinking is my nose interpreting the vetiver/khus), and it really helps to add depth and another dimension to the blend. The smell brings to mind walking through a dark wooded area in the rain and smelling faint, distant chimney smoke that is wafting in and out with the wind. Once this has been dry for a long time the resin seems to come out a little bit more, and balance itself with the smokiness and moss. I really enjoy this one, and it's perfect for cold weather as these dark earthy scents seem to warm me right up Those who like blends such as R.M. Renfield, Malediction and Brimstone should definitely give this one a try.

This blend is, like sarada said, predominantly soft moss underscored by faint whiffs of sandalwood and patchouli. It's very warm and comforting to me and seems like the sort of scent that one would wear while snuggled up under blankets in a cabin in the middle of the woods. (and oddly enough I also got the mental image of reading a book in this wooded setting, I wonder why that is??) Anyway, this is a lovely, lovely moss blend with a soft and cuddly feel to it.

This one has surprisingly very little pumpkin on my skin- it's mainly strawberry, rose and musk. Actually, once it's dry it reminds me A LOT of Hollywood Babylon. There's definitely a 'headshop' vibe to this one, but I love that feel, so I am a happy camper wearing it. Overall, though, I'd like to let this one age for a few months to see if the pumpkin would come out more.

Wow, my skin is turning this one really, really SWEET and musky. I can smell the red musk first and foremost, with hints of rose, vanilla, mandarin and cream. I don't know where the violets and other notes are, perhaps they are contributing to the overall sweetness of the blend? Regardless of the disappearing notes, this is a gorgeous, feminine blend. It definitely has the feel of the painting down pat- wistful, soft, romantic, and feminine. I am always amazed at the Salon blends and how they capture the artwork so perfectly, and this blend is yet another outstanding example of this.

This is, to me, a soft and sleepy version of Dorian with an underlying richness that is the Snake Oil. There is something quite powdery in the blend throughout (fennel?), yet it is kept from being to baby-ish by the Snake Oil base. The lavender is way more present in the bottle than on my skin; once the blend is dry I can hardly smell it. I agree with others that this is both babyishly soft and somehow alluring at the same time. Lovely, blend, and it fits the occasion quite perfectly.

This one's definitely a morpher on me. At first, it's a very strong, buttery pumpkin for a good 10 minutes. As it dries, the soil and brown (or at least it feels more brown to me than black) leather a la Quincey Morris come out and make this a gorgeous, earthy pumpkin scent. Like an earlier reviewer said, it is like you are in the patch looking for pumpkins to take home with you- getting your hands dirty and taking in big whiffs of cool autumn soil. Lovely. After around an hour or so I begin to smell the marsh/aquatic bit, but it moves in and out of my radar when I smell my wrist. Finally, when it's been a good long while, it ends up a slightly spicy pumpkin with the barest hint of dirt in the background. I love this one at all of its stages, however I must add a word of caution to not put too much on b/c it is VERY strong. Overall it's a great autumn scent, and one of my favorite pumpkin blends I smelled thus far. Bravo!

Lovely, lovely beeswax. This blend reminds me of the smell of those beeswax tapered candles that they sell in health food stores, along with the faint smell of spice and wood in the background. On my skin, I don't get anything leathery, and the blend stays the same from drydown until it disappears. I have been so impressed with the Wunderkammer blends, and this one is definitely up there in my list of favorites. I don't really have much else to say except that it is probably the most perfect beeswax blend I have ever smelled. Much, much love for this one.

Wow, I am really loving the coconut and lilac combination- who knew!?! Yes, for the most part those are the two predominant notes in the blend on my skin. Very sexy and creamy with the twist of a sweet feminine edge from the lilac. The tonka, musk and vanilla tea really add to the rich creaminess created by the coconut in the drydown. This blend lasts and lasts and is just drop dead sexy from start to finish. I do not get any tobacco or hyssop, for what it's worth, but I love this blend just the way it is. Fabulous!!

I love wine blends, and this one is particularly fantastic imho. It starts off as a really thick, sweet wine scent but as it dries other notes begin to creep in and make this scent increasingly more sinister, particularly the leather and bitter clove. The end result is a rich currant/grape wine with a serious bite (hah, no pun intended) to it. This is definitely not an overly fruity blend, and does not ever go into grape koolaid territory. It is mature, dark and utterly fabulous. As an added bonus, it lasts for quite a while, perhaps the longest on my skin of any wine/grape blend yet.

Inez is so soft and gorgeous, I just can't manage to pry my face away from my wrist.... mmmmmmm. It's predominantly an amber blend, with a sweet vanilla musk lingering to smooth it out. When dry it takes on a more incense-y tone, with a hint of dry spice in the background. I do sense a bit of the nutty quality others have written about in the drydown- it isn't overpowering, but very light and pleasant. Anyone who loves amber should not hesitate to try this one, it is unlike any other BPAL amber blend I have tried, and definitely deserves lots of love.

This is definitely a bold and sexy scent that lasts, and lasts, and lasts. I get mainly red musk and patchouli (it reminded me a tiny bit of Lust at first) and as time goes on, it is sweetened by the mimosa and lotus root. This is definitely in the same family of bold scents as Mme Moriarty, Lust, Smut and Snake Charmer, but is it's own blend and very unique imho- it's got a very nice soft femininity hiding beneath the brash musk and patchouli that really sets it apart. I think this will age superbly, and plan on hoarding a few bottles to enjoy in the future. Wonderful, wonderful scent!

This is a very peach-centric scent on me, too. At first it is all peach with a hint of patchouli and cocoa in the background, but as it dries, the neroli and ambergris come out and cut into the sweetness of the blend. This reminds me a tiny bit of Masquerade, only a much lighter and sweeter summer version (this is definitely not as patchouli heavy as Masquerade is, that is for sure, but I feel like they are related). This blend, after it is dry, has a very natural sweetness to it- I think it can be enjoyed by many people- foody lovers (although it is not foody), those who love fruit and those who love earthy scents. It's a wonderful blend, and fits the artwork perfectly!

The Ifrit really sticks around on my skin. I tested some yesterday and when I woke up this morning I still could smell it! This is rare for me since my skin eats most oils in a matter of hours. That being said, this is a very musk-centric scent on me. I can hardly detect the dragon's blood, but instead get an almost powdery musk with slight hints of lovely cinnamon and ginger. I find this scent really evocative of the desert- the musk is very golden and warm (as an aside, this red musk does not smell like most other red musks do on me...I wonder if it's a different kind than Beth normally uses?), yet still managing to be dry, due to the spices, I think. I sometimes think I can smell the tobacco but when I try to detect it again it's gone. I wonder if after a bit of aging it will become more noticeable? Either way, it's still a magnificent scent. In short, this is a really sexy musk blend with a strong 'middle eastern' feel, and quite unisex imho. Well done!!

Funny it's the last note listed, because from the moment I sniffed the bottle all my nose seemed to register was MOSS. Lots of dark, earthy moss. Thankfully that is a smell that I love from other earthy BPAL blends, so I happily proceeded to test this scent. On my skin it becomes much more balanced. I still smell a lot of moss, but also patchouli and fresh violets. I do not get the currant bit at all, even throughout the dry-down. This scent strongly reminds me of trudging through a damp, dimly lit wooded area, only to stumble upon a ray of light with a flower growing up from the dark earth. The violet adds such a lovely twist to this earthy blend, and is completely unique amongst BPAL's other violet masterpieces. I am glad I bought a bottle of this unsniffed, it's going to get a lot of love from me in the future!

Pepper is such a bright, happy blend! The pink pepper, bergamot and the sweet florals mix together incredibly well. The smell on my skin is overwhelmingly PINK, if that makes sense- sweet, spicy, bright, yet not overpowering in any way. It lasts for an incredibly long time on my skin as well, bonus points!! This scent is pretty unique in my opinion, but in the same family as Teenage Cannibal and Hermia. Pink Pepper and spicy floral lovers should not miss this one, it is a BPAL classic for sure!

On me this smells just like a rootbeer float- creamy vanilla and bubbly, sassafrass-y root beer. The sassafrass mellows a lot during the drydown, and once it's been on my skin for a while (ie: over an hour) it reminds me a bit of Love's Philosophy. Perhaps Love's Philosophy at the ice cream parlor or on steroids, I dunno... This is definitely it's own scent, though, and, like a previous poster said, very unique in the general catalog. If you're like me and wanted a sassafrass scent but found Laudanum to be too heavy, you should give this a try. Also, if you already love Love's Philosophy and the dearly departed Chokmah, then you MUST try this- they are all closely related scents. I think SSS would be appealing to gourmand and non-gourmand fans alike since the 'butter' note is not prevalent and it's really maintains a buoyant feel throughout most of its skin-time. I don't usually hoard GC bottles, but I think I may be going through this one very quickly.... it is truly delicious and slather-worthy!

I definitely smell the tangerine first and foremost in this one. It was like a fresh citrus BLAST to my nose when I first put it on. Phew! After it settled down a bit, I could smell the 'gin and tonic' part of the scent- especially the tart fizzy-ness of the tonic. The sweeter fruits rest more in the background of this one, which is fine b/c I like the tangerine/citrus girly drink feel it has to it at the moment. I don't normally go for the boozy scents but this one is just right for those really hot summer days. I'm definitely going to use this one a lot once I move back to Southern California!!

Marae is just so elegant and beautiful! All of the flowers seem to be equally blended on my skin, with the incense and vanilla backing them all up. It lasts for a very long time with a moderate amount of throw on my skin. I should note that on me, the incense is very, very light- this is in no way an incense blend- it is very much in the floral family. This scent really sparkles on my skin, and is definitely evocative of a tropical paradise, elegant, gauzy dresses, fragrant breezes and walks on the beach. I am loving this scent, and am very happy to have it in my collection.

I got this one expecting it to be a lovely coconut scent, but as it turns out my skin has decided to amp the musk and ignore the coconut. It starts out mainly as MUSK with a bit of lemon and a dark bit of woodiness in the background. After it's been dry for a while I can sort of smell the coconut creeping in, but it only adds a bit of creaminess to the musk, really. Even though this is not what I expected it to be, I still really enjoy it, it's definitely a very sexy musk scent and I love how the lemon adds a bit of edge to it all.

I really, really love Regan, so when I saw this blend had the lovely vanilla orchid combo plus ginger, one of my most favorite notes, I had to go for it and order a bottle. This scent is just incredible. The ginger is very very light and just adds a bit of zest to the rich sweetness of the vanilla orchid. Sometimes when I sniff it from far away I swear I smell orange, but then up close I don't get that smell at all. Weird. I would say that on me this is a very similar vanilla to that in The Perilous Parlor (yay!)- very creamy and a bit on the light foody side (i.e. not buttery but a tad foody still). Even though it is a vanilla orchid, it does not really smell all that similar to Regan on me, I think simply b/c there is a different vanilla being used (perhaps? it would be funny if it was the same one and my nost is just crazy, lol). This scent just lasts and lasts on my skin, and I can't wait to see how it gets as it ages. I am so happy I went for a bottle of this- it is definitely my favorite of all the Tikis I have tried so far, and a hoarding scent for sure!!

At first this one is a very true, sharp citrus on my skin. I definitely smell grapefruit, and it is juicy and refreshing. As it dries, the apricot really comes out and sweetens up the blend. It becomes more of an apricot scent as time goes on, the other notes seem to blend together behind it. I am reminded a little bit of Grand Guignol b/c of the brandy note, but this is a bit sweeter and also more complex b/c of the other fruits. I wish this one lasted longer on my skin, b/c I really love it, however I certainly don't mind reapplying!

YUM. Yeah, that is what I thought the second this was on my skin. This is a very rich and buttery scent on me, but not in an overpowering way (i.e. I can't wear Gluttony or Hellcat but this definitely works). I can best describe it as cracker jacks with a hint of vanilla. This is going to be such a good scent year-round for when I need some good foody comfort- I couldn't be happier!

Mmmmmmmm.... Frederic is a very delectably, spicy, smoky patchouli on me, and I can't get enough of it!! I love how the buy rum, rose and current mix with the patchouli to give it a spicy twist, while the chypre keeps it on the clean side, veering away from the 'dirty hippie' patchouli scent (which I love, also, btw). It is a very sophisticated scent that is quite unisex in my opinion- I'll be wearing this one a lot, that's for sure Try this one if you like El Amor y la Muerte & The Winter of Our Discontent- it's definitely in the same scent family as these two, but still quite a unique creation. Love it!!

The first thing I thought once this hit my skin is that Mort de Cesar is a very powerful scent (in feel and in throw)- the cypress and balsam are very strong on me, supported by a very 'classical' incense and a hint of the 'blood' in the background. I really love cypress, and it is great to see it in an incense blend like this. I could see this scent working very well ion either sex, although I think it does lean a bit to the masculine side. I love the painting on the label, and I feel that this scent perfectly embodies it (how does Beth do that???). I have quite a few incense blends but this one is very unique amongst all of them, and a very welcome addition indeed.