feline.by.design

My picks would go with Hamadryad, Samhain, Three Witches and Azazel (discontinued, alas) thus far. I plan on trying to use more as home fragrances in the oil burner of mine like Paris, Oneiroi and Chiroptera. Also, I would like to buy a room diffuser from Nanda to use in tandem with the home fragrances. They have oils there, too, and I recall someone recommending them as good for home fragrances but not BPAL calibre. I don't have a car, so I haven't any recommendation for that. -doreen

Three Witches is the strongest BPAL oil with clove I've tried. I love Madrid, though the wine fragrance was stronger than the clove. Good to see another clove fan. I've considered getting clove cigarettes just to burn as incense! I've got a whole bag of cloves from the Indian grocer's as well, and I'm just waiting to make something to unleash some clove action! Wha-chaaaaa! -doreen

:::does a little dance::: I'm so clean, the cleanest I've been! I had ordered an imp of Libertine from the Lab with my Cold Moon order, and the wonderful thing came (hooray). I was attracted to the oil when I saw it on the BPAL website. Bergamot? Gorgeous. Sandalwood? Me encanta. Chamomile? Sounds yummy. So, I tried the oil out and was so surprised at how clean the oil smells when wet. Libertine, on me, at the beginning smells like a clean garden scent. After a couple of minutes, the clean smell transforms to a clean floral, with the primrose and the violet sneaking out and rising to prominence coupled with the chamomile and Arabian musk, with a hint of the sandalwood at the bottom to ground it out. During the time I was testing it, I noted that it remained for the most part a very clean, pretty herbal floral. Libertine is good for those of us who like only shy, mellow, unassuming florals. The fragrance didn't go powdery on me, but I didn't note any bergamot. No matter, though, it's still a fantastic scent. But I'm going to be passing my imp on. Why? Well, I've got a 5 ml bottle of Libertine soon to be on its way from Red Hot Mama's UNICEF auction! :::does a little dance again::: -doreen

Ah, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's signature scent. I wish it worked with me. When I first applied the imp, I could smell the almonds. Not being much for almond scents, I was worried, but still hopeful. The hope died about a minute later. I don't know what it is, but I smell something that reminds me of this certain type of nail polish remover. There is a kind of alcohol scent that really doesn't work with me. I'm not certain what note it is, but I've found it in some other fragrances, I think Has No Hanna was one, and it really didn't appeal to me one bit. Yes, the maraschino cherries smell upon the first sniff, I got that, too. If there are cherries in this oil, well, they don't work well with me normally either. I've worn it for thirty minutes, and the almond scent does back down, but the alcohol-esque scent is more prominent, mixed with a barely detectable sweet vanilla base. Also, I'm noting a rose fragrance coming forth in the drydown. I'm not a big fan of roses, either. I'm afraid this one isn't going to be a keeper, but I'm always glad to test something I haven't before, and I'm happy that the Lab sent me this (twice) as a freebie. If this oil has almond, cherry and rose notes, I'm surprised that I didn't combust since those notes are typically on my list of no-nos. But for those of you who possess tastes that cater to those types of fragrances, I'm sure you'll love it. Even though I don't like Black Phoenix, I can tell that it's a well-made oil, considering that the teensy swab of oil I applied is still going long and strong, and plus... well, it's made from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. You know they don't play. -doreen

SKULD FRIGGIN' ROCKS!!! Seriously. I ordered an imp of Skuld with my Cold Moon order, and I am so happy. Even if all the other imps are crap, I don't care, *this* is utterly divine. Not that the Lab would ever make "crap," mind you, but I'm just saying this as an example. Where shall I start? Okay, this is a very strong, sweet fragrance. The oil isn't sugary, however, more honey-sweet. Like Orange Blossom honey (yum!). On me, I thought I smelled something berry-like, but I do have a cold, so I could just have been smelling the honey note or perhaps the labdanum was playing tricks on me. In any case, it lasted a good while, and I am just tickled that this fragrance smells so good. Anyone else heard of Ah! Megamisama!? Skuld from that show would definitely wear this. It's a very playful fragrance that a young woman could wear. By the way, I admit, I didn't know what the component "labdanum" was, so I went to look it up on Google and found this site which states: Gum Labdanum resin - Cistus villosus var. creticus - from Spain. The fragrance of Labdanum is very complex. This waxy resin produces a balsamlike, woody, earthy, marshy, smoky, ambergrislike, leathery, flowery, honeylike, mintlike fragrance with hints of plum or oakmoss after a rain. I didn't get anything smelling "ambergrislike" or "leathery" or "mintlike," but I think Skuld was a lightly earthy fragrance. I also had the impression that cinnamon was hiding in the oil, but again, I have a cold, so I could be smelling something totally different, though I wouldn't put it past the labdanum giving off the woodsy fragrance. A big bottle is definitely on an upcoming order, perhaps even the very next one. I think those of you who like the intensity of Hollywood Babylon or Lampades may want to give Skuld a try. It's sort of in the same scent grade, but doesn't smell like any of those two, if that makes any sense. Skuld is deep and complex to try and figure out, but simple enough to be enjoyable. It's love! Love!! -doreen

I bought a bottle of Chiroptera unsniffified. I beheaded a q-tip for the cause of testing it out. When I swabbed a bit on my wrists and neck, I found it good, but a bit strong. Keep in mind I've got a bit of a cold, so maybe the strength is a good thing to an otherwise healthy person, but Chiroptera sort of prickled my nose. Wet, the lemon balm is spotted easily among the florals. It's a very clean scent. I didn't detect any roses, but I did note something that smelled like lilies as the oil began to dry down a bit. This made the oil smell a bit soapy, but I didn't mind as I had just came from the shower, and I really like clean smells. Plus, the soapiness wasn't too pronounced for my tastes, and I found that it went really well with the rest of the notes I was getting from Chiroptera, such as the honeysuckle and lavender. All in all, I'm very glad that I have a bottle of this fragrance. Theraveda made a good observation, as Chiroptera is a wonderful fragrance for spring and summer. -doreen

I'm not big on roses myself (I normally steer far away from rose scents), but I do like at least two oils that contain it: Juliet and Endymion. Unless you are allergic, I would try giving one of these a go before you completely and totally write off roses from your book. Here are some scents I like, but double-check to make certain they haven't any roses or jasmine: Phantasm is very similar to Embalming Fluid. Along the same lines, I would also try and give Shanghai a whirl. Succubus may work for you as well. The Hermit is my all-time favourite scent. It's very clean, more fresh than floral. Some other good, clean fragrances include Hurricane (very juicy and lush) and Hemlock (quite green and crisp). Jabberwocky is a very good scent as well, one I personally have a 5 ml of since I like it so much. Absinthe may be also one you might like, though if you're not fond of licorice/fennel, you may not be keen on it. If you like the idea of lotus and lavender, you may enjoy Paris from the Wanderlust section. Black Pearl might be an interesting scent for you to try. Sudha Segara is a great milky scent, though I think it may have jasmine in it if I'm not mistaken. I haven't really tried the others. In terms of fruity scents, I've had Lampades and Hollywood Babylon work really well and last really long on me. R'lyeh didn't really last long, but it's a very clean fruity fragrance worth mentioning. Some other scents I like that don't quite fit into categories you mentioned: Blood Amber, Severin, Wilde, Madrid, Anne Bonney, Szepasszony, Oneiroi, Scherezade, Three Witches, Hamadryad, De Sade and Medea. I also liked Black Dahlia and Hell's Belle, however both contain magnolia, which may have an affect on you if you're not keen on jasmine, as they're kinda-sorta in the same family. Again, double-check to make certain what I'm mentioning doesn't have the verboten notes... you can do a search on the main site to see the ingredients. Hope this helps. -doreen

Actually, as far as I know, the cold is far, far better for oils than the heat. I'd be far more concerned if I had a *hot* mailbox rather than a cold one, because extreme heat can make oils really wonky. The ideal storage place for oils is a "cool, dark place." I recall that some people store their perfume (not necessarily BPAL) in refridgerators. -doreen

I've been sitting on my imp of Hemlock for a while now. It was a generous freebie from the Lab, and, finally, today is the day to try it out on my wristie. After dealing with "imp spit," you know, when you get the oil kind of splattered a teeny bit when opening and/or closing the imp, I was greeted by a nice, green scent that wasn't as bitter as I was expecting. Okay, I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe something like collard greens. Hemlock, thankfully, does not smell like collard greens. We've got reviews already describing Hemlock as a green scent, and I can't deny it. On me, the fragrance sweetened up a bit on the drydown, leaving me with a yummy almost-floral, but not really. It's like being in a garden at the height of springtime, though this fragrance is probably one appropriate at any time. When I first smelled Hemlock, I actually thought it would make a better room scent than a body fragrance. Now, I think it would be wonderful either way. Hemlock seems like it would be really good to "clear the air" with a fragrance that isn't heavy or strong, but rather clean, fresh and "natural." It might help my boyfriend, who is sick right now. I would *love* to have every aspect of my apartment smell like this! The sheets, the sofas, the litter box, the roommate.... :::calms down::: Okay, well, this imp of Hemlock will be well-used. I'm actually considering getting not just one, but two bottles of Hemlock: one to keep with the rest of my oils and one to stick with some cleaning supplies. This stuff rocks my socks! -doreen

In my experience, I've had a few fragrances that have impressed me with their staying power and potency. Sometimes, they're ones I'd rather *not* have these traits, but here are some off the top of my head that have good "throw" that I've tried: -Hell's Belle -Anne Bonny -Lampades -Hollywood Babylon -Moon Rose -Wolf's Heart -Hamadryad -Has No Hanna -Blood Amber Of those, Has No Hanna and Moon Rose didn't quite agree with me. Perhaps they'll be kinder to you. Happy hunting. -doreen

Oh, Penthus is apparently very similar to Tears, which was a salty blend. Red Hot Mama is currently auctioning an imp of it with all the other oils for UNICEF. See the link in my signature and look for post #20. -doreen

Well, I really didn't think I would like Frost Moon, and... I was right. Naturally, I had to buy it so I could try it, since I figured some people would like it, however it just doesn't work for me. I'm not really the minty-scent kind of girl. Frost Moon makes me think of those Andes mints. I feel like I should be eating this oil instead of wearing it. I have to note that it's wonderfully crafted, icily minty. It's very crisp, like walking across ice cold mint leaves and snow. Definitely a very unisex fragrance. Hats off to the Lab for this one, but it's still one of those "nice, but not for me scents." I'll be thinking about whether I should use it as a room scent, or if I should just sell my bottle, because I feel a bit bad using such a fine oil for, say, air freshener when there might be some lady out there who would strangle live chickens for more Frost Moon. -doreen

I received Juliet as a freebie imp. I had wanted to try it, but at the same time I figured with all the florals that Juliet would be just heinous on my skin. I was a bit wary of the lily flowers, actually, though I'm not entirely sure why. When I first applied the oil... ooh! It's a floral that smells clean and juicy! The honeysuckle, I would have to say, is the predominant note, with the pear making the fragrance really quite juicy. Juicy florals, is there such a thing? Well, if so, Juliet would be a good embodiment of the genre. It's a very strong scent in the initial application from the imp. As the scent leaves the initial wet stage of juicy honeysuckle, the fragrance doesn't change too drastically. I am still noticing the honeysuckle first off, but the white musk is making a subtle entrance. White musk normally works well with my skin, and in this case it's hardly overpowering the florals, but rather tipping the balance away from being Floralfest 2005 with the pear in its aid. I'm not very good at telling the difference between the calla lily and stargazer lily, nor the heliotrope, but I do smell something other than the honeysuckle. The mix of flowers really smells quite lovely, especially now that the scent has had the chance to fade a tad, but it's still quite noticable. By the way, I should note that some of you who may dislike jasmine may also have problems with honeysuckle. I think the two flowers are related, and they do resemble each other somewhat in terms of fragrance, at least to me. Some people are also allergic to fragrances with jasmine, honeysuckle and magnolia, so although this would be a lovely one for work, make sure there aren't people with sensitive allergies who may be provoked if you wear this. I figure it won't be too bad so long as you don't go overboard. Since I'm not much for florals normally, I may not buy a bottle of Juliet anytime soon, however I am definitely keeping this imp. There are certain times when one needs a nice, pretty floral, and Juliet is just gorgeous. I'm as fond of it as I am of Endymion, which is another floral that features the beauty of pear. Juliet makes a wonderful day scent, perfectly suited to the soon-to-be spring months. -doreen

I hear that. I live with my boyfriend and a roommate, and the gunfire, random catcalling, curses and sounds of revving engines fills the air of our little apartment. Whenever the boyfie and I "get it on," I'm rather strict about turning off things like the television (which is in the other room, anyway) and oftentimes, the computer. I don't even like hearing the whirr of the fan from the computer, though I will tolerate a decent selection of music. Sometimes the boy will just get together a set of random mp3s, and that can sometimes lead to disasterous results. I mean, maybe some of you don't have issues with Morris Day and the Time interrupting your amorous advances, or David Bowie abruptly stating "You remind me of the Babe" when you're against the sheets, but I sometimes feel that they can be really bad mood-killers. Okay, back to the topic at hand... I can only recollect Red Devil having an effect. The boy does like Sudha Segara (as he bit my arm that he was smelling) and Hollywood Babylon, but I can't think of any events that make me sigh and say "It's all thanks to BPAL." -doreen

Black Lotus is nice, but ultimately, too sweet for me. In the bottle it reminded me of bubble gum, and the effect of the oil was the same on my skin wet. Initially, the bubble gum scent was strong, yet it seemed to grow sweeter as time progressed. The sweetness reminded me of a similar sweetness I found in Has No Hanna and other Voodoo blends, though I could be totally off. Within ten minutes, though, Black Lotus transforms into a respectable floral scent. The bubble gum association is something I'm going to attribute to the lotus note. I tend to get this "chewing gum" connotation with lotus scents. I'm willing to give Black Lotus another go, if not on my skin then as a house spray. I think it would be rather nice diluted and sprayed upon linens or the sofas. In any case, though, I won't be buying a bigger bottle, but I'm really intrigued by the scent in how well it was made. -doreen

I was unaware of the ingredients in my freebie imp of Depraved when I put it on, so when I realised I smelled like the kind of air freshener installed in public toilets, I really had to take a look and see what's in this oil so that I knew never to smear this on again. It's APRICOT!! Sorry folks for the most unflattering BPAL comparison ever, but Depraved reminds me of air freshener, a really strong container of air freshener kept on top of toilet tanks. It's so sad, the black patchoili I like, but the apricot... APRICOT!!! Cursed thing, begone! To explain my reaction, I must make it known that I'm not fond of apricot scents. I actually detest anything smelling like apricots, peaches or raspberries. I love eating the fruits fresh, however I loathe anything scented or flavoured like these fruits. I don't know why. It isn't like I was bullied by someone shoving a peach or apricot in my face. It's just the scent of these quite repulse me. Raspberries I'm willing to chance, but both peaches and apricots I draw a hard and heavy line against. Anyway, well, now that I've cemented my freakishness upon you all, for those of you who don't have my affliction may enjoy Depraved. I, on the other hand, will stick to the sniffies with berries that better agree with me. -doreen

If only Nemesis would've stayed with the red patchouli/cypress form when wet, we would've been such good friends. We'd hang around, watch MST3000 and eat pizza together. But alas, once Nemesis begins to dry down, the patchouli says "see ya" and the cypress goes "peace out" and I am left with... roses. Well, accurately, roses with ginger and fig arm-wrestling with each other. I don't know exactly what tonka bean and cyclamen are supposed to smell like, so I can't really be sure if they were prominent or not. I was fixated on my arch-nemesis in Nemesis... the dried rose note. I only put a couple swipes on the inside of my elbow, but the roses were making me a bit nauseated (Aunt Flo's in town, folks), so I went to wash it off. Despite my soap action, the soapy smell of the roses lingers, and so it's off for round two with Nemesis versus Rubbing Alcohol. Well, Nemesis didn't work for me. But if you like dark rose scents that last, maybe it will work for you. -doreen

I'm rather the opposite, running to the hills at the onset of a salty tang in any of the BPAL oils. I've only tried two that really conveyed the "sea-spit" smell I am so rather unattracted to: Jolly Roger and Neptune. Alas for you, Neptune is no longer in circulation. I've given my bottle to my roommate, so I can't send you a sample. Good luck with finding something! -doreen

I didn't think I would like Anne Bonny, as I had forgotten the components and mistaken it with another pirate BPAL oil, Jolly Roger, which I had tried and made me rather seasick, oddly. So I thought AB would have that "sea-spit" smell. Happily, this is not the case. When wet, the red patchouli in Anne Bonny was very prominant. I've always been rather ambivalent to patchouli. Sure, Virgo is one of my favourite oils, but I really had no concept of just *how* good patchouli smells once the Lab has gotten hold of it. Every patchouli oil ought to aspire to be like Anne Bonny. The stuff in those head shops that unwashed bohemian wanna-bes douse themselves with just does not compare. Red patchouli will from now on be a note listed in my "look for" list thanks to Anne Bonny. As the oil dries, the patchouli smell does die down, and the sandalwood comes through with the frankincense. Anne Bonny seems "strong," not in the powerfulness of the fragrance but moreso in its own aura. This seems like a scent a very independent-minded, casual, no-nonsense woman would wear. A man could easily wear this as well. It's almost a melancholy smell around fifteen minutes after the application. It seems like one that will linger quietly as the night wears on, not completely disappearing yet not very noticable either. Yes, this will do. Thus the free imp from the Lab of Anne Bonny has found a good home. I'm rather surprised, considering my false misconceptions of the oil prior to the healthy swab of the oil in my inner elbow. It's not a scent that I'm insanely ga-ga over, but rather one that I know I would wear often enough to buy a bigger bottle. Anne Bonny seems to me like an oil I would wear as an "everyday" scent, like my jeans ought to be automatically scented like this. -doreen

Villain, Vicomte de Valmont and Wilde would be good ones to try if he likes fresh scents. Also try Embalming Fluid, as that one is lemony and a very clean scent. He may also like Mad Hatter and Jabberwocky. Both of those scents are nicely herbal, with Mad Hatter being more like a pale mint and Jabberwocky has pine and eucalyptus and orange. Good stuff. Severin and De Sade are also good masculine scents, although they tend to be a little bit darker, yet they don't have any of the woody connotations. I'm not keen on cedar myself, so I wasn't too thrilled with Lear on my skin (my boyfriend is the opposite, so he has the imp now). Yes, Azazel rocked, didn't it? At the moment, Namaste is the only one with lemongrass in it, and it has cedarwood (ack, no!!) and rose. Let's hope the Lab will come up with a few more clean lemongrass scents. -doreen

I second the vote for Jabberwocky. Tombstone is one that my boyfriend likes, so that gets my vote as well. Wilde would also be a good choice. My word, you'll be the BPAL family! -doreen

I received my imp of Lex Talionis as a freebie from the Lab. This wouldn't have been one that I would've picked out for myself, by the description. Now that I have it in the flesh, and on the flesh, my opinion hasn't really changed. When wet on my skin, Lex Talionis is pretty much like a full-bodied smear of cedarwood. I'm not really keen on the scent, the only time I've liked cedar was in Tombstone, and I still gave the imp to my boyfriend. He, actually, made a comment that he liked cedar. After five minutes, cedar is still the dominant note, but I can smell little tiny peeks of cardamom and myrrh and pepper. After thirty minutes, more of the same. I think I'll give this to Brent. -doreen

This was received as a freebie from the Lab. Normally, I don't have much luck with the Voodoo Blends, as there seems to be a common element in all of them that flips my switch to "off" as soon as I try them. Wolf's Heart, however, was a little different. The note that reminds me of the other Voodoo Oils I've tried is still there, especially in the beginning, but it doesn't seem as sweet. As it dries, it does get a little sweeter, becoming a very juicy floral, but not unbearably so. The sweet note ebbs back into the background, revealing a spicy scent, like something from the nearby Indian spice store. Cloves and cinnamon have been mentioned in other reviews, and I would like to agree, though I want to say that there is something else that is far more exotic in this blend. After twenty minutes, I've got a sweet blend with a little faint spicy kick to it. All in all, I like Wolf's Heart, and the added Voodoo Oil benefits are a plus. I can't see a man wearing this really, but I'm sure it would work for certain men out there. I don't know if I will get a larger bottle of this oil or not but I will definitely hang on to the imp. -doreen

Bloodlust was red in the bottle and, while wet, red on the skin. Interesting. Okay, I don't know about you folks, but I got something very WOODSY when Bloodlust was on my skin. I can only assume that this impression came from the Indonesian patchouli, because it didn't make me think of cinnamon. It takes only a short while for the woodsy smell to kind of calm down, though the overall scent is still quite nutty, reminding me of walnuts. Even this, eventually, does wear away, leaving me a scent that is sort of warm, but again, doesn't make me think of cinnamon. There is still a trace of nuttiness in the end. Bloodlust didn't really work for me. It was a rather unexpected scent experience considering its name. However, as always, I'm always willing to give a Lab creation a go, since I am so often pleased and surprised. This one, though, just left me surprised. -doreen

I didn't get any apple or lemon from my trial with Desire. Instead, Desire came off oddly spicey and musty. The notes seem interesting at first, but as it begins to dry, the oil changes to be a more floral-sweet fragrance, as if you are dipping your nose directly into the nectar of a flower. Nice, well-made, but not my cup of tea. The end result came off as something resembling "flower-sweat." I was reminded of the smell of ripe papaya, a fruit I don't like much anyway. It became powdery as well, which I attribute to the inclusion of the rose. Desire isn't something I really need, so the imp will be given away somehow in some way, shape or form. -doreen ADDED May 15: The bergamot in Desire reminds me a lot of scents like Hakkotsu and Shadow, two oils I like, but not quite love. Desire definitely isn't as dark as Shadow in the beginning. In fact, if you told me there was patchouli in this oil, I wouldn't believe you. The neroli and bergamot dominate Desire at first. It's a mix of crisp citrus with something sinisterly syrupy in the background. Another sniff about three minutes later reveals the neroli and bergamot duo knocked off their pedistal, replaced by rose tempered with vanilla. In this stage, it's not too bad for a roseaphobe like me. During the drydown, about twenty minutes later or so, the scent is primarily vanilla, with mere hints of the rose and bergamot. The musk helps the vanilla stay away from its sweet, foody side. It's more of a comforting type of vanilla, comforting like a plushy sofa near a sunny window. Desire might be appreciated by those who liked Zephyr. The two scents are a little similar, but not too much. As for my verdict, I don't think I'll get Desire as a bottle, but I will keep my imp for a while. -doreen