Vampy

Hmm... What about fruity things? Does he like fruity things? My skin doesn't get along with florals very frequently - and neither do my sinuses, they frequently give me horrific headaches - but I love Fae. "A brilliant, ethereal scent: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss." Peach, a white floral, and white musk are the dominant scents to me. It's very light and bright and smells like soap bubbles in sunlight. It is not, however, tuberose and jasmine.

Bloodkiss is strange. I've tried it several times now and still can't decide whether I like it or not. It's an odd scent. The honey is so strong I can just about taste it, yet somehow it still doesn't come off as a "foodie" scent - something smells like dragon's blood to me, even though I don't think it's supposed to be in this scent, and well, the idea of eating dragon's blood isn't terribly appealing. But anyway, for me the honey and clove are the stronest scents, underlaid by various sweet notes that aren't very distinguishable from one another, and a deep earthiness below that. It all comes off very strangely, and my mind goes, "I'm not certain I like this..." and yet I can't stop sniffing my wrist. The weirdest thing about it is after a couple of hours, it turns to a sweet cherry tobacco. I was at the grocery store when I noticed and wondered who had been smoking a pipe, and then realized it was me. The boy had tried it on too that night, and it did the same thing on him - cherry tobacco. We smelled like a cigar shop!

Used the bpal site's search function for tuberose and jasmine and came up with two with both of those notes: Delight (Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine) and Muse (Tuberose, lotus and jasmine with a hint of lime), both from Love Potions. If he only likes florals, then there are plenty of pure florals and floral dominant scents... But frankly, it just sounds like he has no taste.

When I got this, it smelled sort of fresh and green and herbally, a faint hint of mint which I supposed to be catnip. Within a week, though, it'd turned to soap. Girly dove soap. Or that weird pink bubblebath powder my grandmother used to have. Not unpleasant, exactly, but certainly not something I want to wear as perfume. And I liked it in the beginning...

I love this, though I have to be very sparing with it or it threatens headaches. Probably the vanilla is to blame. I can't really pick out any specific notes other than vanilla. There's an earthy element which might be due to patchouli. The only way I can really describe this oil is with an image - the image of a beautiful, dark golden-skinned youth, either gender, dressed in colorful gauzy scarves, and with dark, seductive eyes, like the idealized concept of a harem girl or boy. This is also one of the very few oils that doesn't turn into vague powdery sweetness after an hour or two on me. It's long lasting (for me, which still isn't that long compared to most people's mileage) and morphs very little, just becoming slightly more musky and less sharp over time.

Very strong on the dragon's blood, which I'm a big fan of. A very heavy, thick red smell, just like the oil itself. When I first put it on there's a heavy earthy smell, presumably the patchouli and vetiver, overpowering the dragon's blood, and I swear there's clove here, though that isn't a listed note; then slowly cinnamon starts wafting through, growing quite strong before mysteriously evaporating; and then it's almost pure dragon's blood, with the patchouli just kind of rounding it a little. Love this, though it doesn't last very long at all on my skin. Want a big bottle, but I'm also planning to buy the LE The Bloody Sword as soon as I get a little cash, and I expect it will smell similiar, so I'll probably wait and compare.

Dude, this smells nothing like a cruel aristocrat. This smells like an evil, tow-headed little girl, in a poofy pink-and-white confection of a dress, licking a lolly and staring at you with big creepy eyes. It's a poisonous candy smell. That said, it's kind of... neat. ETA: I think it's starting to give me a headache, though. :\

It's a good thing I tend to like masculine blends best, because most of the feminine ones I've tried turn nasty on me. In the bottle I liked this - it was a blend of fresh, tart fruits and ginger. Right after putting it on, it immediately turned into something boring and commercial smelling - and over time it got more and more toxic smelling, and started giving me a headache. Had trouble getting it off, too.

Wet in bottle: Cold fir and warm cedar. Very masculine, but not quite in the way I expected, somehow. Reminds me of men's cologne, which is usually a bad thing. And yet, despite reminding me of it, this is somehow so unlike any men's cologne I've ever encountered that it doesn't put me off. In fact, this is pretty unlike anything I've ever encountered. It's weird, in a good way. Wet on skin: Fir grows brighter, colder, stronger smelling. The cedar's been thrown into the fireplace. Leather notes coming up. Dry on skin: Grows very smokey, the warmth contrasts nicely with the chilliness of the fir. The leather grows more distinct as well, and I start to smell a faint musk in the background. The musk is oddly... cold. And - this might just be the power of suggestion here, but I don't think it is - something smells almost antiseptic, lurking malevolently in faint whiffs here and there. It doesn't turn the overall scent medicinal at all, but it's like this surprising bite that comes out of nowhere on occasion. Over time: The notes randomly waft over each other, so that one moment the leather seems strongest, the next fir, the next smoke. Turns kind of sweetish and powdery and very faint after a couple of hours, unfortunately - but alas, 90% of all the scents I've tried (ever, not just bpal,) do this on me. One of the reasons I'm dying for a scent locket. Overall: I love this. It's very masculine and sexy. Also one of the most unique scents I've ever tried. I've put it on several times today, and it seems a little different every time. Considering that everything I've gotten from BPAL so far has morphed significantly over the course of a couple of weeks after receiving it (except for the imps klavierbarrette sent me, which I imagine were rather well aged to begin with), I'm very interested to see how this scent mellows. The only thing I don't really like about it (besides the turning to powder, which almost everything does,) is that it isn't very strong, at least compared to a lot of other BPAL oils, so to get any real throw from it, I have to use more than I normally would. I think the reason this scent strikes me as so unusual is because it's not cold or warm, it's both. It's distinctively chilly fir and an oddly cold musk, and sexy, warm smoke and leather. Appropriate to the character, I think.

Hmm. Kind of ambivalent about this. In the bottle the florals are rather sharp, and kept me from trying it for a while out of fear - always a risk of strong floral blends giving me a raging headache. I tried it on, and thankfully it doesn't seem to be doing so (though I wouldn't want to risk it in great quantity.) Ylang-Ylang is most prominent at first, with a backdrop of myrrh and rose and a subtle earthiness. I too get a curious impression of violets. As it dries down, the earthy notes become more prominent - musk and patchoulli, I think, but I could be wrong. They're still playing second fiddle to the ylang-ylang though. It's an elegant blend, and very feminine. Very well blended and balanced, but it just doesn't evoke anything for me. I feel sort of meh about it.

Lavender has a marked physiological (not just psychological) effect as a anti-depressant and relaxant, so yes, it's quite good for anxiety, one of the absolute best. Of course, if you find the smell of lavender repulsive (some people do for some reason,) it's physiological effects would likely be countered by that displeasure, but... If not, a bit of pure lavender on the temples and back of the neck and hands is very soothing. It evaporates so quickly though. Sob.

To me Sheol smells like a bottle of cola poured over dirt, and dries down into rose petals and dirt. In general, look for scents with strong patchoulli or vetiver notes.

This is probably going to be a very strange suggestion, but I have a lot of anxiety disorder problems too, and I've found the Qlippoth oil Golachab to be helpful in soothing my nerves. This may well be an entirely personal effect, but for me, it gives me a underlying feeling of confidence (it's a cocky sort of scent) and languidness, which just helps to head that anxiety off right before it starts. Of course, I also have some personal symbolism associated with it that probably adds to that effect. For many people Wolf's Heart helps their anxiety - I find it's helpful for me as well, but not as much so as Golachab.

This one is WEIRD! I got it in a gift of imps from the darling klavierbarrette, but I'd put off trying it because I didn't like it in the bottle. But, tonight I read someone in the recommendations section describing it as "gritty and resinous," and well, gritty and resinous is quite my thing, so I thought, hey, why not. And... Opened the imp, and still didn't like the smell in the bottle. It was too sweet and strange and something floral was threatening to give me a headache. Then I cautiously dabbed just a little on, and - by god, it almost instantly morphed into something wonderful. "Gritty and resinous" would be the right terms to use, yes. Golden, sweet and bright, with something black and gritty underneath, almost charcoal-like, fueling it. The only notes I can specifically pick out are amber and probably some myrrh. Someone mentioned cedar, and that might well be part of what's creating that sharp backdrop. I wish I could figure out what was creating that black char note, it's perfect. And quite strong, which is baffling, because it really just was not there in the imp. It's a bit TOO gritty and sharp for slathering, I think, but I really like this. I might get a big bottle at some point.

In the bottle: very unusual, can't pick out anything specific other than dirt. Wet on skin: Cola and dirt. Yes, cola. Not so much coca-cola, but a more old-fashioned tasting, real-cola-extracts-and-a-dash-of-cherry soda shop cola - poured over a mound of dark, loamy dirt. Dry on skin: Roses and dirt, with a lingering trace of cola. This one is bizarre. I don't think I can even rate it, I'm so confused by the smell.

Hnn. I got this as a freebie, and went and read the description before I tried it. Based on the notes, I thought I'd like it, but I was wrong. :\ It's not extremely unpleasant or anything - in the bottle it smelled sort of yellow and bright, a strong woody element. On me, it smelled... familiar, it a not altogether pleasing way. After a while, I realized it was because it made me think of the sort of scents old men wear, and I think I was specifically reminded of my grandfather's scent from my childhood. Not something I particularly want to smell like. Meh, I'll be passing this on.

LICORICE. I unexpectedly have two scents that are very licorice to me (the other one being nanshe.) Well, absinthe wasn't unexpected, I just didn't expect to have two that smelled like it. I don't dislike the smell of licorice, but... Weird. In the bottle, licorice with an undertone of something woody and a dash of lemon. On me, it grows sweeter, and the woody notes gradually strengthen and turn it slightly masculine. A greenish-yellow smell. Overall? I'm not really sure yet. I don't dislike it, but I'm not wild about it either. I'll have to try it a few more times and see if it grows on me. If it does, I'll edit my review to say so.

Euuurgh, this one is the first one that I not only don't like, but violently don't like. In the bottle, it's not bad - I was thinking it might be a little overly floral for me, but it was very sharp and bright, with notes of ozone, appropriate to the name. On me, though - extremely strong department store counter ladies' perfume, of the kind that makes me think of middle-aged to old ladies. Reminds me of the este lauder powder my mother always wears. And, like most comercial perfumes, it's giving me a headache. And I can't get it off! Sob. Help me.

Wow, I kind of expected a lavender scent from reading these reviews, maybe lemongrass too - but I opened this up and WHOOSH, licorice. It doesn't smell like lemongrass to me so much as sweet fennel. I'm betting there's at least some in here, because it smells just like that sweet licorice smell of the bottle of sweet fennel I used to have, with a touch of florals. There's very little morphing of this scent, though it doesn't seem to last all that long - it gets a little sweeter over it's lifespan. As for whether it "worked" - first time I tried it I was napping, and slept so lightly I didn't dream at all. Second time I tried it was before I went to bed for the night (okay, it was actually morning, but you know what I mean,) and I dreamt a complex and interesting dream involving Gwynn (a fictional character I'm rather fixated on from The Etched City), but I can't really remember much about the dream other than a few isolated images and concepts. So. I guess it sort of half-worked? Assuming of course it was Nanshe that helped me to dream that in the first place. I'll be trying it again, in any event.

Oh, wow. This one is wonderful. Fiery and masculine, yet sweet and comforting. Slightly warming to the skin. I can't seem to pick out any individual notes - possibly clove? And perhaps a little dragon's blood? And something sweetly floral. I'm not sure about any of those though, it's so subtly blended. I smell it and it's like a brush of warm fur, and it just smooths that constant undertone of anxiety right away. It's turning sweeter and less masculine, though no less gorgeous, as I sit here sniffing my arm. ETA 9/11/06 - HONEYSUCKLE?! Where on earth did that come from?! I'm sure it wasn't there before...

Can I get some recommendations for very spicy bpal scents? I've found I'm more in love than I even realized with black pepper and cinnamon and the like, especially when paired with musk. I seem to like things that are dusky and spicy smelling, things that make me think of middle eastern fairy tales...

I didn't expect to like Coyote, given that I don't like grassy smells nor southwestern imagery, but I got it as a frimp, and wow, was I surprised. On opening the imp: FUR. And sweet tobacco and amber. On skin: FUR FUR FUR FUR. And hello leather, tobacco, dry grass rustling in the wind. FUR FUR FUR FUR. It's so soft that as I sniff it I feel fur rubbing against my cheek. Over time: Dries down to softest amber (I think it's the way the amber and musk is combined that gives me such a strong FUR impression) and wisps of tobacco smoke. Over all, I'd say on the feminine-neutral-masculine scale, it leans very slightly into masculine, but there are distinct feminine notes as well. Also, I find it interesting that many folks are complaining it doesn't last long on them. It lasts longer than most things on my skin - though that's not saying much, as my skin tends to gobble scents right up within 1-2 hours anyway. Grassy scents usually aren't for me - I have severe grass allergies and usually the faintest hint of the smell will set me off due to subconscious association. But while I do get that hint of dry grass, it's not strong and somehow it's... it's as if it's only the idea of grass, a very evocative and accurate idea, but still just the idea, instead of being that real SMELL that bothers me. It's not really "me", and I really shouldn't like it, but it's so lovely and expertly crafted I can't help myself. It gives me fleeting images starry nights over grassy plains, and sleek, elusive shadows darting through the stalks, soft fur rustling against them.

Fae is delightful as soap bubbles in sunlight - filmy, translucent, irridecent and playful. A very bright and warm scent, and yet it has a bit of an astringent bite to it. It gradually becomes warmer on my skin, the bite dying down and the musk becoming stronger. Unfortunately it doesn't have much throw at all, and doesn't last long on my skin. Interesting note - I thought it smelled a touch masculine on me, but then I thought about a man wearing it, and it seemed like in that context it would be a bit feminine. So I percieve it as a very androgynous scent.

I wanted this scent because of a literary significance - the main character of one of my favorite books, The Etched City, owns a sword named Gol'achab. And boy, I wasn't disappointed. My impressions, posted a few days ago in my blog: Wet in bottle - WHOA spice. Hot hot hot spice. Fiery and sandy. Living up to the "Burners with Fire" namesake, I'll say. Very complicated, difficult to distinguish individual notes. I think I'm smelling black pepper and possibly dragon's blood in here? Also a distinctly yellow note I can't quite place. There's an underlying sweetness, something unexpectedly floral, and dark, sweet musk. Wet on skin - Still firey, very spicey, but the sweet musk and the oddly floral and yellow notes coming up stronger. I think I'm smelling cedar. Maybe some cinnamon, though if so it sort of blends in with the wood and spice. And is that sandalwood? It actually feels kind of warm on my skin, which makes me think I'm right about the black pepper. Yellow flames in darkness. It's becoming somewhat drowsy and sensual. Very masculine. Still brings to mind sand, desert dunes, and I can see gauzy, dark-colored clothing and gold. Dry on skin - Definately smelling sandalwood. Spice has receeded to accent rather than the dominating scent. Has taken on a strong, pleasantly soporific, powdery sandalwood-and-cedar smell, still very musky and sweet. Is that opium? Very slight almost metallic edge to the drowsy sweetness. Only a little bit of the floral note left. Still a very masculine scent. Over time - Now very incense-y, light and powdery, but in a good way. Woody scents have taken over as the dominant note, pushing the spice and musk back to accents. The metallic edge is a touch stronger - it isn't so much noticiable in the smell but in the way it leaves a faint taste of metal on your tongue after sniffing it. Almost like the taste of licking the blood from a small cut. The peppery-spice is still there, but mild and muted. The floral and "yellow" notes I mentioned are almost completely gone. Would smell almost meditative if not for the hot, restless element of fire and metal. Overall: I'm not much for giving number ratings since I'm horrifically inconsistant with such judgements, but I can defiantely say I like this scent a LOT. If you don't like smelling like a man you might not want to use it as a body perfume, though. It is definately a very male scent. For me, this presents no problem, since I kind of actually like that. After looking through some of the previous reviews in this thread, I think the "yellow note" I kept smelling was what everyone keeps describing as "fruity." Also, as an interesting and odd note, a few hours later the "yellow" and floral notes were back, and were stronger than ever before.