feline.by.design

Reading the site's description, I like nearly every single element of this fragrance. So it's interesting that the oil itself received such a "meh" reception from me. Glasya is a sweet floral on me. The oil is reddish in the bottle, which is pretty cool. It smells okay overall on my skin, however this isn't something I really see myself wearing often enough. Something in the oil doesn't agree with me much, perhaps it was the patchouli or the rose. I like it, however it's just not for me. After a half an hour, the scent becomes less sweet, more floral, and a touch powdery. This could've been the rose that is in the mix. I've sent the imp off to another forumite who perhaps may appreciate Glasya more than I did. -doreen

I bought a 5 ml bottle during the Great BPAL Purge, as the elements in the fragrance made it seem like something that would agree with me, plus I have a Leo Moon. In the bottle and on my skin, Leo is very lemony and light. It's a warm fragrance, not particularly fiery or strong as I had expected. This is an oil that I absolutely love when it's wet, but merely like as it dries, if that makes any sense. Because of the extreme citrus, the oil fades rather quick on my skin. Still, I am happy with my 5 ml bottle and will likely use it up, though not right away. -doreen

This smells like clean and fruity bodywash when wet on my skin. Very light, quite nice. For some reason, I smell berries in the background of R'lyeh, perhaps raspberries? It's quite juicy, maybe it's mandarin orange or the grapefruit note that others are catching. Either way, this fragrance is light and fruity. It would make a fantastic spring or summer scent. I received this imp as a freebie from the lab, and it's a good thing, as it's one I would never order myself. As soon as I hear "aquatic" I think "sea salt" and I turn my nose away. There wasn't a bit of salty oceanic tang in this for me, and that is a good thing. -doreen

I'm actually not a fan of almond scents. It's weird, I like them, but I don't like them on me. Not at all. With Hecate, all I could smell was the almonds. It was the fragrance of sweet almonds, which after a while mellowed out a little to get a bit of a floral note mixed in. After about five minuted on my skin, the oil turns to smell a bit powdery, then soapy. I found this quite strange. I don't believe the imp is with me any more, I think I might have passed it on to someone who may have different tastes. I am still puzzled about the powdery note that I received in the very beginning of the drydown. I prefer Hecate's disciple Medea as a scent more. -doreen

The King of Diamonds is a very light, clean fragrance. I smell something a bit metallic, reminiscent of lavender when the oil is wet on my skin. I had used up like 20 percent of the damn bottle because I can't put on the oils without reducer caps, so I was really glad that the King was so light. It wasn't overwhelming on me at all, and in fact after a short while the fragrance disappears a bit until one gets her/his nose up close to the skin. In fact, the experience on me was just basically a "skin, but better" scent. Nothing really popped out. It could work well for both a man or a woman, in my opinion, as well as everyone in-between. I liked this fragrance, however I need to get some method of application much better than the one I've got right now. -doreen

When I first cracked the imp open, I really liked it. When I first put the oil on my skin, I really liked it. Then... it started to smell like Chapstick. Someone mentioned the "synthetic" smell, which I would like to blame on the neroli, but I'm not quite certain. In any case, it smells good wet, but during the time the scent lasted, I could still smell the underlying "Chapstick" smell. That's what killed the joy for me. Aside from that, Jester would be a wonderful, fruity, juicy scent. I am lucky to console myself with other beautiful berry scents from the Lab (like Queen of Spades and Lampades). -doreen

Eh? Did I cop the same imp that everyone else wound up with? My experience wasn't very dark at all. In my take, Darkness was SWEET. I never knew. This was the sweetness that I received from trying out a few of the oils from Voodoo Blends. There is a dark note, but it's underlying, buried by the sweet, syrupy florals. Maybe that's the "hairspray" that a couple of others experienced (see above). It's okay, but not my thing at all. -doreen

When I put the oil onto my skin, I noted the lovely floral bouquet that came forth. It was actually a little strong. The scent smells like Hell's Belle, which is probably due to the lovely magnolia note, but in comparison, Black Dahlia seems more "grown-up." It doesn't have the same sweetness that the Belle has. I'm thinking the "adult" note in Black Dahlia would be the rose, but I'm just guessing. I really like this scent, and I wonder if my imp was mingled in with some other imps I gave away at work. Eep! Ah well, between the two magnolia scents I've tried, I think Hell's Belle came out on top, but I would've liked to keep the imp of Black Dahlia around. If I did give it away, I would like to get my hands on another. I'm not only a fan of magnolia, but also of jasmine. If I don't wind up buying a bigger bottle of this for myself, I may buy it for my mother. -doreen

This, to me, smells like an abandoned cathedral with moss growing over the old pews and weeds poking through the stone floor. Dust is covering the old pages of written holy works. The wood is damp from the humidity and the elements. There is a small shaft of light breaking through, but not enough to truly illuminate the way. It's "dirty and dark" as my notes state from my wearing of this oil. I found it nice. It was a very curious scent, but in the end, I passed it on. I just didn't feel like it was a scent that particularly captured me, but I did find it interesting. I think it was actually too dark and deep for me. However, I was glad to try it on, as always. -doreen

Hmm.... In the bottle Danse Macabre smelled rather innocent. Once the oil touched my skin, though, the hazelnut (I assume) smell really was brought forward. Wet, my skin gave off the smell of burning woods. Its a smell that I've found before, but I can't recall what fragrance from BPAL smelled similar. Perhaps this is the cypress and oakmoss. Either way, it's quite strong, and was rather unexpected from what I smelled in the bottle. After a while, the fragrance softened, with the woody smell in the background and a more green, floral scent was thrust forth. I liked this stage, but after about thirty minutes or so the floral scent took over and now the skin reminds me of some soap. Good smelling, but a bit too much of the "clean" fragrance I had originally thought of this scent being. All in all, Danse Macabre was really a finely crafted fragrance, however I think this would be better suited to someone else. As previously mentioned, this fragrance would lend itself well with a man's body, so I may give this one to my squeeze to see what he thinks of it. -doreen

Port-Au-Prince hit me with this: sweet almond with a kick. It's a very nice smell, but not something I would wear often. On my skin, almond's sweetness fades quick. I'm not inclined to almondy scents, and this one really didn't do too much for me, though I think it would make a great room scent. I have plenty of fragrances that I keep around as room scents, though, so I don't need another one. -doreen

Neptune smells very much like its namesake diety. It smells like the ocean. The fragrance warms up on the skin after a while, however it still clings to the salty tang that refuses to agree with me. This scent actually made me a little seasick, which is a bit odd to say. This fragrance seems like it would do better on a man, so I passed it onto my roommate (and kept the bottle of Arkham I was originally going to give him). For those who like the salt-air smell of the shorelines, Neptune would have been a wonderful choice. I guess I'm too much of a city slicker to really want to slather myself in that fragrance. -doreen

I had originally bought this for my roommate as a holiday present... but I wound up keeping it for myself. Why? Well, I'm fond of lemony scents, and this one reminds me of Phobos in how it's very much like a lemon italian ice. I love lavender, and though I didn't pick up on it, I'm sure it was in the background making everything smell right. The drydown is soft, this isn't the Pledge lemon that everyone fears. Like most citrusy scents, it doesn't last as long as I'd like (which would be forever) but it's pleasant while it lingers. This was a very nice fragrance to add to my collection, and I'm glad that I've got a 5ml bottle of the stuff to douse myself with. I gave Neptune to my roommate instead. -doreen

When I tried on Debauchery, I thought it smelled rather nice, but something was a little "off." That something, as I see reading the components, was civet. I don't really get along well with civet, but in Debauchery, it's really rather faint, so I didn't pick it out right away. Debauchery overall is a very dark, animalistic, playful fragrance. Like "Werewolf Woman on the Prowl" type of scent. Despite my fantasies of changing into other things, I've passed my imp along already, as I'm not really keen on civet, and I didn't see myself grabbing the imp over others. However, for those of you who are into letting a bit of the wilderness grab hold, this might work for you. -doreen

Eternal reminds me of Has No Hanna in it being very sweet, with an odd note that reminds me of nail polish remover, yet not as astrigent. The scent was very sugary sweet in the vial and on my skin, and it just didn't agree with me. I like some sweet fragrances, like Helle's Belle, for an example, but this one is just way too sweet. I passed the imp on to someone at work. -doreen

Oh man... funny story. In the bottle, Gingerbread Poppet gave me a sort-of "One, two, PUNCH" because of how strong it was. I think this would be a great thing diluted more, for me to wear. I used it once or twice as a home fragrance, but since my bottle didn't come with the reducer, erm, I got a bit clumsy and had a LOT of the oil spill on my hand. Yegads! My cat was nearby, and... well... I kind of wiped my hand off at the nape of her neck. So Isosceles, my cat, was running around smelling like GP for DAYS! It smelled quite nice on the cat, and worked well as a home fragrance, but as something for me to wear on my skin, it wasn't my thing. It was too strong and it actually made my tummy do a turn. But, that said, I will likely keep what I've got left of the bottle, seeing as how I've dumped around a third of it or so already, plus it's a rather nice home fragrance, providing I get a dropper or something to distribute it. -doreen

I'm surprised, yet not surprised, that I haven't reviewed this yet. Ice Queen was the first Yule oil that I tried, and I really like it. My bottle didn't come with the reducer cap I have come to be so fond of, so I'm a bit sloppy in applying, but I *had* to try this one. The smell reminds me of Mad Hatter, but stronger, and it lasts a bit longer. It's a wonderful fragrance that can go well with a boy or a girl, despite the name. It's a crisp mint with a side of icicle. A really wonderful rendition for the Yule holiday. I like it on me, but I don't think I'd wear it every day. I'm actually looking to hold onto my bottle until the summer, to cool me down in the hot months. My boyfriend likes Ice Queen, he actually commented that it smelled like a man's cologne, which may put off some of you but some of my favourite BPAL oils tend to be "traditionally masculine." All in all, I'm happy with the bottle of Ice Queen I've got, and I hope that she comes back next year. -doreen

Brimstone really wasn't my cup of tea. In the bottle and on my wrist it was like rubbing burnt wood onto my skin. A wood fire? Yes, that's what it was, but this isn't something that I wanted to wear. It's a very powerful smell, very strong. It took a while to die down, so if you like smoke smells that last a long time, this is the one. Although I appreciate the mastery put into making this oil (the Lab never ceases to fascinate me), this one just didn't tickle my pickle. This imp of mine will be moving on elsewhere. -doreen

I always liked the story of Pandora. She seems a bit misunderstood. Sure, she had a curiousity that has done massive damage to the world, but hey, she had all those other great qualities, yes? The smell from Pandora, the BPAL version, was a bubbley smell that was a bit sweet. It reminds me of something, something I couldn't place until after a while: chapstick. There is a bit of an "odd" note... sometimes lotus works with me and sometimes it smells like old bubble gum. In this case, it didn't work. -doreen

:::pines::: If only I had ordered Phobos before Deimos, I would have a bottle in my collection before this gorgeous scent was discontinued. Sure, I have lemony scents. Embalming Fluid, Shadow and Phantasm are there for me when I need them. But this... *this* was lemon ice on a stick. It's the smell of an Italian ice... cold, bitingly gorgeous. It fades fast, but thus is the nature of citrus smells. However, I still can faintly smell a trace of it three hours after application. Call me a bit curious, but I love wearing lemony scents in the winter chilly time. Phobos will be the scent of the season, so long as I can make my meagre little imp last. :::sigh::: -doreen

I bought this in a bottle for my boyfriend based on the description. I've tried Severin on my skin and I really took a fancy to it, and I dabbed a little on to my wrist of De Sade to compare. De Sade smells good... leather, but also has that hint of smoke early on that Severin has to me for some reason. This goes away after a bit, leaving me with a leather that's sharper than in Severin, but still a bit soft on my skin. It's very yummy and comforting. I have to wait until the holidays to dash this onto the boy. But it will be lovely on him, I'm sure. I must, MUST wean him off of that Eternity bottle! If he doesn't wear it, though, I certainly will. -doreen

Tempest, at first, was one I really liked. The scent was crisp and reminiscent of grapefruit. Yum! But, within about fifteen or thirty minutes, I was plunged away from the light tang into the ocean. Bwaaah! I smelled like sea spray! It was making me a bit sick in the stomach, but that could have also been my period. Either way, I regretted putting the amount I had originally put on, which wasn't much. It lasted probably two hours on me, in the end making me smell like salty air. I'm not fond of it, but I know many people who fancy the ocean air. Not me. -doreen

I've had this imp for a *while* and I finally decided that I should give it a whirl. I didn't think I would like it much, as the initial coffee scent kind of made me shy away, but on the skin, the coffee smell amost faded instantly, leaving me with something jasmine-dominating. Then, jasmine starts to fade away too, within a few minutes, and I have a sort of coffee bean rosebud in my inner elbow. Moments after that, I've got mushed flowers. It's a bit strange, really. Hmm... overall, it's not bad. I think it's one that I would definitely try again to see how well I'm fond of it. It's very interesting, but I'm not quite sure that it's a fragrance that I enjoy. I'm going to pass this particular imp of Mata Hari on in a holiday package to someone else, but if I get another imp in the future, I'll be giving it another chance. It's a very unique blend, I must say. -doreen Edited to add: In the time it took me to read about six or seven other reviews on Mata Hari, she's changed again! This time, I smell something darkly fruity, perhaps the fig, but with coffee beans smudged on the skin of the fruit. I sort of wish I could let the fragrance keep shifting on me, but I'm about to take a shower now, so she'll be washed down the drain. I may rethink sending out the imp to someone else, though, because this fragrance is such a shape-shifter. Or I may just order another imp in a future order.

This is a very earthy scent. I gave it a quick try-on knowing I'll be giving this away to either my roommate or my boyfriend (or perhaps someone else) and the patchouli oil on first application is very strong. After a while, the fragrance does warm up a little bit, but it's a very dark, dark fragrance. Typhon almost to me smells a bit like walnuts or pecans. Dark and a bit nutty. The sandalwood and vetiver peeks through after a while, and after about thirty minutes' wear, the fragrance does resemble aforementioned incense, but not with any spices. Almost like wet driftwood. This isn't the kind of fragrance I would like for myself, but I don't think it's half bad. I may wind up passing the imp on to my roommate or perhaps my boyfriend's brother, as I'll be giving my boyfriend a couple of dark scents already in imp form. I must add that I'm surprised to see this one be discontinued, because it really seems like a good masculine scent. -doreen

When wet, Lolita smells really, well, acrid. Like an orange zest marinating in tart lemon juice. Really sharp, nothing sweet at all. Not what I expected as a fan of verbena and lemony fragrances from BPAL (Phantasm, Yuki-Onna, Zephyr and Embalming Fluid are favourites). The lemon in Lolita leans more towards the dreaded cleaning product smell on my skin, being so sharp and not really sweet. After an hour it does eventually dry to something sweet once the citrus wears off, but it's too faint to make much of an impact on me. Perhaps one of my friends will appreciate this more. -doreen