abejita

A strangely romantic, disturbingly erotic perfume. This is a weird one, but in a good way. The pumpkin is not what I usually associate with BPAL pumpkin notes-- it's none of the usual super sweet and spice. It does have sweetness, though. Pumpkin musk is an odd concept, but, yeah, that is what I smell. It's a gentle, sweet musk. A touch sexy. The oudh is dark and rich without being heavy. It's a nice oudh-- I get neither band-aids nor barnyard. I really like this one. Every time I smell my wrist, I catch another nuance to it.

I love the scent of cherries—all kinds, from tart to sweet—but I am sort of picky about what I like them paired with in perfumes. Something about the dried cherries and blackberry wine just marries so well, making both even better. This is a multi-layered scent that goes through most of the notes and then dries down in an interesting mix of silk/leather and dark, rich fruit (the rose is somehow part of the fruit), and a velvety resin base. I love it.

The description is exactly what you get. Lilac backed by light vanilla and a hint of resin (the benzoin). I am not a big florals person, but I dearly love lilac. I’ve tried a few blends with lilac, but they’ve always been coupled with other notes that just aren’t me. Vanilla one of my all-time favorites, and I am not disappointed by this blend. I’ve found my lilac, and this is it!

It starts out with bright, tart, luscious guava. The dry down is where the slightly more vegetal fig and the smoothness of the vanilla cream come out and balance that loud tartness. Love it, definitely a keeper.

Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. First impression in the bottle: My eyes! Heh. It's just a very, very thick and intense woody cassia. That's all I get. Overwhelming enough to catch in my throat. It's the cassia of Monster Bait: Underbed with the dial set on 11. On, wet: My wrists are warm, but no burn. I would not suggest applying this right after a shower, though. The cassia is still howling, but not to the point where my throat feels scratchy sniffing it. I smell something sweet, but oh that cassia. Pipe down, you! Well, hello cinnamon. It's nice to make your acquaintance. The cinnamon is politely asserting itself, firmly telling the cassia to chill the fuck out. The cassia has decided to be sensible and take cinnamon's good advice and has receded, but not departed. Red ginger is peering in the doorway, probably trying to gauge cassia's mood. Dry: Red ginger has decided that it is safe to make an appearance. Cassia is contrite and apologizing like hell to red ginger. They have made up and are strongly joined in the scent. The cinnamon is a sweet cinnamon. Like in Australian Copperhead, the Snake Oil aspect is the backdrop. It's there, but not centerstage. Again, this will probably emerge more on aging. The Verdict: Even before aging, this is a great spicy, warm scent, just not as deep as I'd like. I have confidence that in a few weeks, this will be killer. I am not disappointed, I am looking forward to this one "maturing." ETA: Strong throw like whoa. I put my wrist down to my side and it still smells like I'm huffing it. Edited again to add: Hours later and the Snake Oil is much more apparent. It's a great mix with the spice.

He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do, And looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do, And flickered his two-forked tongue from his lips, and mused a moment, And stooped and drank a little more… Snake Oil with caramelized tobacco, davana, black amber, bourbon vanilla absolute, ambergris accord, oakmoss, and CO2 extract of oak wood. This one is so very quiet. In the bottle, all I can detect is some distant, indistinct resins. On my skin, the familiar Snake Oil base comes out. The other notes sort of peep through, then recede quickly. It's mostly a dark, extra-resinous, rich Snake Oil right now, with the oak, tobacco, etc. stepping in and out-- they're present, but elusive. I am thinking this needs a couple of weeks to settle into itself.

Mine just came and this is so aptly named. The scent is a light and bright haze with delicate notes. It reminds me of some of the Shunga Vulvas from the last couple of years. It's like Triumphant Vulva has collided with Abalone Vulva, and there is some scissoring going on. In a good way. With stars. The gardenia is creamy and not overwhelming, and I'm happy that I'm not getting any indolic character to it. The orris is delicate and adds sweetness and texture, but isn't coming off very powdery. The white amber and vanilla (and it really is a "sheer") vanilla are giving me that starry vibe. I think the tobacco flower leans that way as well. The coconut meat gives it some body. I don't detect the violet, tuberose, or mugwort, and I do know what all those things smell like. Love it.

Nor should you wonder at all these things which are natural to women, and are particularly expected of the condition of virgins; because of retention of the sexual fluid, the heart and surrounding areas are enveloped in a morbid and moist exudation: this is especially true of the more lascivious females, inclined to venery, passionate women who are most eager to experience physical pleasure; if she is of this type she cannot ever be relieved by any aid except that of her parents who are advised to find her a husband. Having done so the man’s strong and vigorous intercourse alleviated the frenzy. She married an energetic young man, who, having discharged his marital responsibilities with vigor, she took to this with enthusiasm; under this appropriate treatment she flourished, revived, bloomed with the rosy shade of well-being, and was entirely restored to health. – Zacutus Lusitanus, Praxis Medica Admiranda, 1637 Lascivious females! Are you suffering from morbid, moist exudations? Restore your health and the rosy glow of well-being! Heady peach musk aglow with sugared amber. Moist exudations, indeed. This scent is somehow very humid. The peach musk is both peach flesh and the skin. There is no trace of the overly sweet peach gummy candy, here. I can detect the amber, but it is very much in the background. I think it will come forth more as it ages. This scent wears close to the skin, but isn't faint. I'm glad I went for the blind bottle.

I agree with one of the reviews above me. If you took BPAL and layered it with BPAL... yes. That would be this. It starts out as rose-incense-musk-snake oil. The resinous incense-y notes are dominant, with a spicy rose right behind it. The Snake Oil takes the back seat, but it is coming across to me enough that I think with aging it will emerge as much stronger. When I get a Snake Oil variant that I can't smell the SO at all, it doesn't usually improve with time. When I CAN detect it, it does tend to deepen and emerge more with age. Even un-aged, this is a keeper. I think it will only get better.

I agree with the review above--straightforward, as advertised. It's not a dry cacao, it's distinctly fudgy. I think I am getting more throw than they are, however. I have on a very small amount, and I can smell it without bringing my wrist to my nose. I have gotten pickier about chocolate scents as time has gone on, but this one is definitely a keeper for me.

Perfectly balanced. The dried cherry is distinctly dried and has a concentrated, almost jammy cherry feel to it. The spun sugar brings out the cherry even more, and the incense draws it away from being overly gourmand. It's dark, sexy, and it's a keeper.

Snake Oil, orange blossom, wildflower honey, and cinnamon. I don't know how Beth manages to take scents that have almost the same notes and makes them so distinct from each other. This is Snake Oil + honey. But the honey is completely different from Snake's Kiss or Womb Furie. It's the most golden and straight up from-the-comb honey out of all three. The cinnamon is present, but not overwhelming. Same with the orange blossom. The overall impression is strongly of the scent's name-- basking in the sun. It's warm and sweet and bright. I love it.

She finished the drink, hefted the sword over one shoulder, and looked around at the puzzled factions, who now encircled her completely. 'Sorry to run out on you, chaps,' she said. 'Would love to stay and get to know you better.' The men in the room suddenly realized they didn't want to know her better. She was beautiful, but she was beautiful in the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, but not up close. And she held her sword, and she smiled like a knife. Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks. The label is a woman's face, smiling wickedly. She has long, red hair. In the bottle: a mishmash of patchouli/spice/musk with a piping note of honeysuckle. Wet: oh, my. This is gonna be a good one. The ginger is making its presence known, with everything else lying coiled beneath it. Dry: Round, warm velvety red musks and red ginger, with a gentle patchouli. The honeysuckle sweetens it, but floral-haters, don't be afraid. Not foody, not floral. Spicy and round, rich. There is something indolent, cat-like about this. It's a lioness who could lay you open from neck to groin, if she wanted, but for now she'd prefer to roll on her back and bask in the sun. For now. Edited to add: A few days later, a sharp black peppery note has emerged. I really can't stand pepper, so this bottle has found a new home.

I love red amber so much. It's almost always paired with other notes I dislike, so I was excited to see it in a scent that appealed to me. I can immediately detect the red amber. The musk is sweet, but not nearly as heavy and perfume-y as red musk often turns on me. Saffron and honey always go well together, giving a bit of richness and spice to the blend. It does read as smelling "red" to me, which is a nice trick when not relying on fruits or roses to lend it that vibe. As it fades, the red amber and musk stay dominant on me, with the honey/saffron combo going faint. I think that might balance with some age. I'll be wearing this one a lot.

Sniffing this in the bottle, my first impression is that it's bright and deep at the same time. On my skin, it unfolds into something lovely. The skin musk, orris butter, and pale amber notes sort of make a chord together, all light and clean but not at all sterile or high-pitched. The rose and vanilla seem melded together. I wonder if people who are hesitant about rose might like this one. The rose has a very velvety feel to it, and I don't parse this as a floral dominant blend at all. The spun sugar adds some ethereal sweetness. It's a scent that feels like it has a lot of texture to it, somehow. I'm definitely keeping this bottle. Love it.

Burnt honey! It smells like bochet-style mead (which is, of course, made from burnt honey), without the alcohol. I can detect some creaminess and muskiness from the milk and ambrette, but the dark, caramelized burnt honey is the star of this show. It's beautiful, and I love it. If you've had trouble with honey notes, then this one might be something you'd like to try. It's not at all floral, and the sweetness is heavily tempered. As it dries down, I get more of the milk, and I think it keeps the honey from edging into "charred" territory. I haven't smelled this particular honey note in anything BPAL has done so far, and I'd love to see other iterations of it. The milk note is one that works well on my skin, but it does smell like the same note I've seen others complain about going "sour" or "off." So that's a consideration.

One day out of the mail, this reminds me of a mix between last Halloween’s Pumpkin Booze and The Magician’s Wand. The sandalwood is sunlit and golden, and the pumpkin is sweet and gourmand-but-not-foodie. I’m definitely holding onto this one. It’s lovely to wear now, but experience tells me it will age into something even lovelier.

Osmanthus, honey, golden musk, vanilla flower, and ginger. In the bottle: Musk and osmanthus. Very flower/musk. Hmmm. Not a huge floral fan, so this isn't promising. Wet: Flowery flowers. Dammit. It's all osmanthus at this point. Damn its apricotty fruity flowery self. I was hoping for a honey-musk-vanilla-spice kind of thing. But this is all floral, all the time. I think that osmanthus just does not appeal to me. It seems to overtake a blend, unless there are a lot of other bold notes (like Dark Delicacies). I can tell now that it's why I didn't care for Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku and Shoggoth. Dry: Fruity, floral. There is some honey here. The osmanthus is finally mellowing and I like the blend a whole lot more. It ends up smelling like a very mild apricot/peach blend with a bare hint of gold musk. I don't dislike it the way I did wet, but I don't think I will hold onto it.

Fixed Fire: the essence of pride. Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron. In the bottle: nutty amber. Not just amber, Egyptian amber. My favorite. This bodes well. Wet: oh, yeah. Egyptian amber. I love this stuff. Saffron, too. Gentle woody/nuttiness. Dry: Did I mention Egyptian amber? You know, one of the Best Notes Ever? This is sweet, dark, dark golden, rich, and lovely. Saffron and Egyptian amber mix pefectly. The frankincense is subtle, but adds to the smooth resiny quality. The chamomile is gently sweet, like in Red Moon. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those instant BPAL hits. I am going to look for a second bottle right away to age. It's just that good. This is the best of the zodiacs thusfar, and I loved me some Gemini. If you like the Pumpkin Queen or Bastet, get this. If you wanted to like them, but couldn't deal with the pumpkin note, or the lotus note, get this. Oh, hell, just get it. Edited to add the year to the title.

I think this one will need more time to rest and come together. Right now, it’s strongly dominated by apricot, with the peach coming in second. I can detect the resins and rice milk, but none of the cardamom. This scent has one helluva throw.

Can the entirety of my review be “Beth! Why didn’t you do this ten years ago so I could have it already aged?!” More seriously, it’s lovely. It’s wearable and enjoyable now. The Smut and the Snake Oil meld, yet are still distinctly recognizable. It’s dark, rich, resinous, musky. I am going to break my no back-ups rule. I have a bottle of Smut from... 2006? It’s well over 10 years old. It’s so fucking gorgeous. I have Snake Oil from 2005, and it’s a goddamn treasure. I confess I’ve been tempted to mix them before, but now I don’t have to.

Snake Oil with acai berry, amber, cardamom, neroli, and smoked vanilla. First impression in the bottle: Whoa, açai and neroli! On, wet: The açai is bright and vivid, berrylike without being at all candyish or cloying. It's just like the real thing. What a great note, I hope to see it in other things. The neroli is also bright and herbal. There is some sweetness and vanilla here, I suspect it will emerge more fully any moment... Dry: Oh, yes. Here is the vanilla and it is definitely smoky. The amber isn't so prominent, just adding a richness and a complement to the vanilla. The açai is calmer, but still a major player. The cardamom seems less spice and more round and full. Kind of like the cardamom in Bastet, as opposed to it in, say, Pumpkin Queen. As time goes on, I can pick out more Snake Oil-ish elements, but they are a backdrop. To me, this is more a scent in its own right than just a "Snake Oil variant." The Verdict: I am so happy with this. Predictably, I can see it aging beautifully, but it is more than wearable now. It's not like anything else I have tried, thusfar, but it still has that recognizable SO feel to it. I hope very much that this scent is representative of the beauty of the rest of the Snake Pit. If they are all this good, my wallet is sunk. ETA: Strong throw.

The Other Woman. The scent of dark desire, heady with intrigue, shadowy with deception: black opium, Haitian patchouli, jasmine sambac, French magnolia and kush. From the bottle: Creamy blossoms and a whiff of my beloved opium. On, wet: The French magnolia just bloomed. Hell, it burst into bloom. The jasmine is strong. I have never had a particular problem with jasmine in general, but I can see how the sambac is more... tempered, somehow. This is seriously a lush floral, everything else is hiding right now. Dry: Mmmm, there it is. Ooooopiummmm. So smooth. I am not a big floral person, but the lushness of the magnolia, the clarion sweetness of the jasmine, and that smooth black opium are really doing it for me right now. The patchouli and kush have a light touch. I suspect they are part of what is grounding the jasmine. I love the sweetness of this scent, it's so velvety The Verdict: A keeper. To me, this scent speaks confidence, sensuality, and a very mature breed of audacity. I can really see how it is meant to evoke the Other Woman. I get a feel of independence. This is the scent of the Mistress, but she is no kept woman. She just can't be bothered with drab social convention. The men who know it want her all the more for it, but she won't be tamed. I don't usually go nuts reading a lot into a scent, but this one is tugging at my imagination. Medium to strong throw.

This scent is more than the sum of its parts. I almost passed on trying it at all. Orris is okay, but not something that draws me in. Lotus is often just straight up bubblegum. But I read the reviews, and I remembered how much I like Beth's pink musk and how she interprets "pink" in general. It's pearlescent, delicate, exquisite. Something about this one has texture. Usually, a fragrance that feels so strongly textured is velvety or heavy, but this one is hummingbird feathers and dewy flower petals. It's fresh without being soapy or ozone-y. It's one of Beth's lovely spring-in-a-bottle scents without being a field of wildflowers. It's floral but not floral. I'm getting a bottle.

[No additional description provided.] This is very straightforward. The pomegranate note verges on candy-like, but stops just short of it. I had been wanting Snake Oil with a dark fruit note. This starts out bright and tart, the pomegranate dominating. It settles to darker, still tart, and more balanced with the Snake Oil. It's exactly what I was looking for.