Poenari

I usually shy away from anything with rose, as it always turns to soap on my skin and often makes me sneeze for the first half hour of wear. However, I've had so much luck with the rose used in other OLLAs (Eve, Our Hearts Condemn Us) that it has actually converted me into loving several other GC rose scents (Zombi, Blood Rose.) And then came Spooky Action at a Distance. It's nothing but ROSE SOAP IN MY NOSE! Sniffling and sneezing and SOAPY SNEEZY ROSE! I thought I had this problem solved. Too bad, but at least I know all rose doesn't do this now. Edited to add that my review is based on retesting my 1/2 decant that was purchased when the scents first went live. It has aged, but hasn't aged out the sneezing soap.

My review as of 6/14/14: (thanks to Mellifluous for saving this, since I lost it on Facebook) I applied before bedtime and it is still present on my inner arm this morning! The oil is a dark brown color. First applied, I get the motor oil, not harsh, but just a quick whiff. The motor oil note, whatever it is, doesnt burn my nose or smell like the burning tires blast I initially get from my 2005 Devils Night. Then, the rest of the time this is a beautiful musk scent on me. Now my skin loves all musk except white musk, and this is no exception. Black musk never gives me the lemony note that so many describe and this black musk is almost a blend of black, Siberian, with a hint of red musk sweetness thrown in for good measure. I think the myrrh is so well blended with the musk that it sweetens it on my skin. I get a very beautiful dark ride in a classic car, late on a hot night, with musky overtones from the heat of two lovers skin just beading into a swirl of dark sexiness. I LOVE IT! Edited 4/4/15 to update: I wore this the other day, and after nine months of aging, this is even better than when it was fresh! The motor oil is still lightly present at first, but if I didn't know to look for it, I probably wouldn't have known it was there. It's melded into the musk, which has deepened and sweetened, although I wouldn't call this a sweet scent. I always think of motor oil being black and viscous, although that's not what it actually looks like when I've added it to my car before. Aged SoD has that kind of feeling to it, dark, viscous, rich and chewy musk. Get it while you still can!

When did I turn into a rose lover?! I am blown away by this scent. I had a frimp of the perfume but used it up long ago, so I couldn't do a quick test to see if I should try this, so I ordered a decant of the bath oil The OLLA scents that have rose in them have all been big wins on my skin, and suddenly I am finding rose to be wearable and delightful. Maybe it's my desire for spring, or maybe my nose has finally caught up with Beth's fabulous way with roses. I only use my bath oils as after-shower moisturizers, because they are so luxurious in feel and scent, and Blood Rose does not disappoint. I love Beth's dragon's blood and wine notes, and they blend with the rose to make this a lush bouquet of deep red spicy roses on my skin. The wine is not overly strong, and this is just gorgeous. Ordered two bottles!

For some reason, I passed on ordering the previous release of this bath oil, and regretted it ever since, so I was excited to see it return. Having read previous reviews, which mostly confused me about whether this is meant for me or not, I decided to skip my usual blind bottle order and instead got a decant first. 2015 version: this is definitely a very lightly scented oil. I definitely detect a faint vanilla, non-foody. Since I only use my bath oils as an after-shower moisturizer, this one will be perfect to wear with my scents that have no true companion or complementary bath oil. It bridges the gap between my completely unscented coconut oil and my other bath oils. Bottle ordered!

Definitely a lavender scent, but the oudh and sandalwood make this a very woody herbal scent. I used it on my pillowcase and it is very long-lasting. Unfortunately, it doesn't "feel" or smell like a sleep-scent to me, so my decant will suffice. I will definitely use it as a room spray, though, and it would be work-safe for those who want something in that category.

The frankincense is the most dominant note, with very faint hints of clove. It's like a lighter version of the Frankincense and Clove hair gloss. Unfortunately, I don't get any blood note, which I always love. My decant is nice but I don't need a bottle, as I already have other frankincense-dominant room sprays in my collection.

I've always preferred Gingerbread Poppet perfume over Shub, because Shub has so more of a fresh ginger scent with a fairly strong lemon note that it is very sharp on me, whereas GP is more like warm gingerbread on my skin. But I couldn't pass up a decant of this to go with my GP and the other gingerbread scents I have, and I was really hoping that I wasn't wrong. Sprayed into my palms from the bottle, this smells exactly like Shub perfume, with that spicy ginger heat with a bit of lemon. But once I run it through my hair, this is not nearly as strong as I would have expected! The scent is there, but it doesn't overpower everything the way I was afraid it might. It is very wearable, because it quickly becomes a more subdued version of the perfume. For me, that's a good thing. The scent in my hair is like Shub Lite, and it will definitely go with and not overpower the foodier gingerbread scents I prefer. As for the gloss elements, they are as perfect as ever. Makes my hair super shiny, soft, and is a product I can't go without.

It is so interesting how many different impressions there are of this one! My initial reaction is that mine is heavy on the vanilla, but the tobacco and oudh combine with the vanilla to lend depth to it. I get very little cardamom and no cinnamon as separate, distinct notes, but there is definitely an exotic spicy note mixed in with the vanilla. This is a beautiful scent, and I would LOVE to have this in a bath oil. As it is, I'm also using this as a body spray because it makes a beautiful scent to layer with many of my perfumes.

I received a tester of this from a lovely forumite, and was really hoping that I wouldn't love it, but nope! As the previous reviewers have stated, this is a gorgeous sweet incense, with a definite nag Champa headshoppy vibe. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a chance on this while the Yule were still up because I need a bottle of this in my life!

I have to echo the previous reviewers here. This is a well-blended scent, lovely and good for multiple seasons. In fact, I think I will save my decant for summer because of the citrus that is present. I don't usually care for citrus scents, but this is a nice addition to my collection.

Smells like Vixen perfume, but as others have said, with lighter patchouli. The ginger is a bit closer to the foody gingerbread in Gingerbread Poppet, rather than the sharp ginger I get from Shub. The gloss itself is just as great as all my others. Makes my hair soft and shiny. I'm still adjusting to my short haircut, and the lack of hair around my face means I don't get as much waft from any of my hair glosses. However, I can still detect this when I lay my head on my pillow, so I know it lasts. And as others have said, the scent really comes out in the steam of the shower. It makes me long for Vixen in a bath oil.

At first sniff on my skin, there is the same snow note present that I get from Skadi. I'm not fond of most wintry and snowy notes, but I love Skadi, so this is ok. As it dries down, I can smell the sandalwood, but it is not typical of the other sandalwood scents that I have. There is nothing of pencil shavings like I sometimes pick up in other sandalwood scents. An hour after application, this is very soft and faint, a wintry whisp of woods. I like my decant but don't need a bottle.

I love this! My skin always amps red musk and patchouli, so those notes are prominent on initial application. As it dries down, the notes merge and blend together into a swirl of musky woodiness. It is not too masculine for me, but I wish I could convince my husband to wear BPAL, as I think this would smell amazing on him. Half an hour after application, this smells exactly like Krampus on me. While that is still a really good thing, I have several backup bottles of Krampus, so I guess my decant of this will suffice. Otherwise this would be multiple bottle-worthy. My wallet is happy for once.

Everyone above me has described this perfectly, so I don't have much to add. It definitely smells like it sounds- exactly like I imagine the Sugar Plum Fairy to smell. Sweet, sweet sugary vanilla with plum. This would be the best scent ever for a little girl's bedroom, or for a scent to "protect you while you sleep" for small children. I sprayed it on my pillowcase, and it was off to sweet dreams for me. Overall, I prefer the darker room sprays, but this is just too good to miss.

GINGERBREAD POPPET Warm, cozy gingerbread spiced with nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Note: I use the bath oils as an after-shower moisturizer, so have not tested this in the tub. Gingerbread Poppet bath oil is just wonderful. It's a foody gingerbread, but the spices are milder than I'd expected, which is actually a good thing and makes it more wearable. Although it's not listed in the notes, I detect a sweet note that is very similar to the marshmallow in Marshmallow Pumpkin bath oil. In fact, on my skin, this smells like a slice of gingerbread cake with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Love it, and definitely ordering a backup bottle since we can never predict if a seasonal scent will ever return. Now I really wish that the companion perfume had returned this year, so I could order a bottle to wear with it.

SILENT FOREST Snow-draped pine, cedar, and fir, with juniper, mountain sage, and wild thyme. I really like Silent Forest. It's a very soothing scent- I was surprised to find that I prefer it at bedtime; often the pine/fir scents are more "bracing" and better to wake me up. It does evoke the feeling of walking through a mountain forest filled with an assortment of evergreen trees. It's also got a tinge of sweetness to it. I definitely plan to order a bottle of this one- it's a good layering scent when used as an after-shower moisturizer - it's very similar to Black Forest, and I really love it with The Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches!

I love teak and another recommendation is Our Hearts Condemn Us from the Only Lovers Left Alive collection: Keralan teakwood, Bulgarian rose otto, Himalayan cedar, and oudh. My skin chemistry amps the teak, and I also usually don't wear rose, but this is a beautiful exotic blend. It's not impable from the Lab but you should be able to find a decant.

I have a love/Ike relationship with Eldritch Dark. The bath oil is all dark red musk on my skin, with a bit of leather, and barely a hint of rose. In the perfume, the leather becomes more prominent but stays in check by the fact that my skin amps musk, and especially amps red musk. The rose is there, but not prominent and is the rarest of roses that I can actually wear without turning soapy. I bought the hair gloss because I simply *must* when a scent comes in the trifecta of gloss, perfume, and bath oil. On my hair, the gloss does it's magical work the same as all the others; detangling, defrizzing, scenting, and shining my long curly hair. The scent this time does an interesting thing. The leather is the most prominent, but it has melded into the black and red musks to become one. It's a sweet dark well-worn leather note, like the softest pair of gloves that have been worn for years and picked up various scents from your wrists as you wore them. The rose is in the background, and those like me who are leery of rose shouldn't be afraid of it. This has a big throw if you top off your dry hair with a slight mist or touch it to your ends. I can really smell it wafting from my hair all day long and the scent really lasts. Beautiful.

You might like Little Egypt: Honeyed myrrh and sweet flag. It was a C2E2 exclusive in 2013, but seems to be easily obtainable. I've seen it listed on the forums. On me, it's a sweet powdery myrrh, and not churchy at all.

In the bottle, a hint of minty menthol or eucalyptus, spice, and holly berries. On my skin, I get clove and holly! Not a lot of throw, wears close to my skin, and smells like a sweet Christmas centerpiece that doesn't contain pine or fir greenery. I don't get any waxen leaves from this, and I think it's a very wearable holiday scent that you can wear around people without overpowering them. Perfect for office Christmas parties where you want to smell festive and pretty!

We once lived in a 2 story house built in 1918, and it was partly stucco on the outside, with a big covered front porch. My husband built a porch swing for me, and I used to love to spend evenings reading to our daughter snuggled next to me while swinging on it. Beside the porch was a big flower bed filled with ivy that was also climbing up the stucco. When we first bought the house, I had thought to pull out all the ivy, but it was so thick and entrenched that I changed my mind. We had a huge Norfolk pine tree in our front yard, but were surrounded by old oaks and maple trees in the neighbors' yards. This scent takes me immediately back to autumn evenings, swinging on my porch, with the smell of the ivy and dirt, our pine (not a cypress, but still reminiscent) and the old neighborhood trees with their leaves turning and falling. I loved that house so much, but we moved when I changed jobs so I didn't have to drive 2 hours each way to work. I cried for days after we moved out because we had such memories there, especially our daughter's growth chart with nocks on an old doorway leading to the basement. This scent takes me home! This scent is a bit green at first, the autumn leaves mingle with the dirt note but I can smell them each distinctly. The fig is barely there to my nose, but it does lend a sweetness and there is a hint of dryness to all the greenery. It loses the green on the drydown and becomes more autumnal. This is more of a skin-scent on me with very little throw compared to what I usually wear, but I can smell it on me and it makes me feel cozy and reminds me so much of happy memories in our old home. I will cherish this bottle.

I love Silkybat with all my heart, and am not usually a fan of snow notes, but I had to take a chance on this one and ordered a bottle when it first went live. At first spray into my palms, I can definitely smell the beloved sugary patchouli of Silkybat, but with an initial hit of something not quite lemony, not quite minty, but cold enough to be frost. This is not the same note that gives Skadi its coldness, and that's the only wintry scent I've had any luck with. As this dries in my hair, the frosty note fades slightly, but so does the familiar Silkybat. This doesn't give off as much throw as the original sexy gal, but is more like her sweeter younger sister on the verge... fans of the original Silkybat shouldn't be disappointed, and those who wanted a lighter version, or who never had a chance to try Silkybat should try this one. For me, one bottle will be enough, as I prefer the stronger throw of the original version.

I understand the chewy description! The tobacco is initially the most obvious note, although it melds with the myrrh to become a dark resinous and yet slightly powdery tobacco. In some ways, it reminds me of a sweet pouch of pipe tobacco that my dad used to stuff into his pipe- so that is where I get the chewy feeling. It doesn't smell like smoke, or pipe smoke, or even actual pipe tobacco, but the chewiness reminds me of the pre-smoked tobacco that is slightly moist in the pouch. As it dries, I can detect the pepper and sandalwood coming more forward. After about a half hour, this has a very dry waft to it, similar to the way La Lugubre Gondola wafts on my skin, although this is not the same scent at all. But if you love La Lugubre Gondola, I could see you loving this one too. I bet it would smell great on a man, but it is not overly masculine. I predict that by next Halloween, this one is going to be even more amazing to wear, as these notes will age beautifully.

I love Beth's dragon's blood note! My favorite dragon's blood scents are Blood, which is one of my bedtime favorites, and Dragon's Heart, which are both darker and more resinous to my nose. Dragon's Musk is much sweeter, and Dragon's Claw definitely has the sandalwood prominently featured. Last year's Miskatonic Philharmonic scent Totentanz is also a dark, resinous dragon's blood scent. And another dc'd one from Ars Draconis is Tanin'iver. This one is very spicy- the cassia is very prominent in it.

I have to agree with the others who compare this to Banshee Beat. I compared bottle-sniffs side by side, and this is definitely the same patchouli as in BB. On my skin, this has a very similar vanilla and patchouli blend, although it is much softer and sweetened by the honey. I really can't sniff any cinnamon, and I usually amp cinnamon, but I'm sure it's in there enough to make this blend it's own distinct scent. Finally, I lined up all three bottles to compare: Feed Me and Fill Me, Banshee Beat, and Visions III, and they are all in the same family, ranked as listed from strongest/darkest to sweetest/lightest. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for something in that family- get it now so you don't have to chase a holy grail later on.