feline.by.design

I'm always a bit reticent to try out Voodoo Blends, as many of them have been too cloying with me, often due to what I think may be a common note being gardenia. Dove's Heart starts out lovely as a lavender blend, however once it hit my skin, the oil became stronger and a bit sweeter. I don't know if there is gardenia in this, as I don't get this knee-jerk reaction of wanting to sever my arm off, but I do smell a sort of "rose sweat" I've encountered in other BPAL fragrances: a powdery rose that seems to be mingled with human sweat. The smell of lavender is overpowered by this rose sweat smell, and although not as unappealing as gardenia, it's still not something to my liking. Yet, I can see how some other people might find this calming. It kind of smells like rose soap. Dove's Heart isn't for me, but I'm glad that I did try it, as I'm thinking the ratio of Voodoo Blends with gardenia may not be as high as I'd originally thought. -doreen

Pele was so light at first I had to reapply it to my skin, and even still, she was very faint. The smell I'm getting is light, and reminds me of the scented erasers I used to get back when I was in elementary school. I think I'm in the crowd of reviewers who find Pele too light to truly develop any relationship with the oil. I still get "scented eraser smell" emitting weakly from my spot of skin, which isn't necessarily a bad smell, but just not one I'd care to smell like. I think the actual smell of the imp's outer side smells stronger than the liquid on my skin, which is interesting. I regret I won't be holding onto this one. -doreen

Rosalind smells like soap. Very clean, pretty, green soap. I'm normally one to give the soapy clean smells their due, as I hold clean smells as crush objects, but Rosalind is a little different. It reminds me of the Sea of Glass imp I tried not too long ago, as there's a bit of saltiness in the fragrance. I haven't caught any sort of berry smell in the test spot at all. This would make a nice room fragrance, but I'm not impressed enough with Rosalind to keep this freebie imp, though I'm always much obliged to test whatever the Lab sends to me eventually. I think Rosalind might actually work better as a scent for my boyfriend to try, as it smells very unisex, if not a hint masculine. -doreen

Wow, this smells different. Xiuhtecuhtli is quite a lush scent, but not the whole "tropical blooms" scent I was expecting from its description. I found it very light and delicate at first sniff, with a bit of sweetness that was more akin to sugar cane juice than any stickier, cloying sort of sweetness. The floral mixture... I don't think it's lily, nor lotus, but I could be wrong. It smells fabulous, though. The citrus note is there, but it's not heavy enough to be in the forefront. Rather, it mingles well with the other notes present, which are hard to identify. This fragrance doesn't markedly change throughout the duration of the wear, except it isn't quite as lush as it was initially, but the fragrance stays pretty similar. Xiuhtecuhtli is a gorgeously fresh scent, very different from anything I currently own from BPAL. It manages to be very complex, yet it smells very simple. I'm enthralled. Xiuhtecuhti is a spectacular fragrance, and a definite contender for big-bottle status. This is such a perfect scent for the spring and summer months, although I wouldn't fault anyone for wearing it at any time of the year. It reminds me a little of Snow White in its make-up, how the scent is quite gentle but very distinct, and the weight of the scent is quite similar as well. :::restraining myself from ordering a 10 ml right now::: :::steady on, girl::: Ah. Good thing the update for the Lunacy is only a few days. I think I can manage a few days. In the meantime, I will make much use out of this freebie imp from the Lab. Thank you, Labbies, or perhaps curse you, as I have found a new oil to obsess over. -doreen

All Night Long is quite a strong cinnamon fragrance. I detected something early on in the fragrance that smelled like black patchouli, or it could be something else that is creating some sort of heavy dirt, soil smell, which isn't as bad as I'm making it sound. It's quite like a fireball candy, actually. I'm fond of cinnamon scents, and the next time I feel a bit amourous, I suppose I should see if this oil lives up to its name. It reminds me a little bit of the Celestial oil Mars, which had shown, erm, "results" once when I wore it. After a bit, it does mellow out, but it still manages to be very spicy. I quite like it. I can smell a rose in the background, and the scent is not too unlike Harlot, however the rose in All Night Long is a bit more of a "sweaty," lightly powdery rose. All Night Long sort of settles into this rose-n-spice fragrance, which is all right. I had braced myself for an onslaught of gardenia, as a fair porportion of Voodoo Blends have had that dreaded flower, but ones that do not are very welcome. Although I don't forsee myself getting a bottle of All Night Long anytime soon, I'll hold onto my imp. -doreen

Sea of Glass is very light and ozone-esque on my skin upon application. There is a light saline element to it, but not quite as salty as Jolly Roger. The floral element to it is very light on my skin. The overall scent is quite fresh in the beginning moments of contact. It smells nice, but after a while, I do find this floral/ozone combination to be a bit too salty for my tastes. I can see how Sea of Glass could be a favourite among some, but I think the fragrance is too light and salty for me to consider it as something I'd wear regularly. -doreen

I was decanting a bit of Road Opener for a forum swap, and a little bit of the oil dribbled down the imp bottle I was using. I touched it to my wrist and rubbed it to the other wrist slightly and inhaled. The mint mentioned in the two previous postings smells like pennyroyal to me, and there is a heavier base, but I can't really comment on it as it doesn't linger long on my skin. I actually was close to swooning when I took in the scent of Road Opener. BPAL this ain't! I did a small request while inhaling Road Opener, as I felt I couldn't let the properties of this oil go to waste, even if it's light spillage from a decant. After five minutes, my wrist has a smell that is lightly powdery, like roses. The smell of the pennyroyal and other fragrances have left quite suddenly. Whenever I do begin to do ritual work with this oil, I will try to remember to add to this review about what I did and for what purpose, etc. For now, my verdict: pennyroyal and otherworldiness. I still feel a bit wobbly and light. -doreen

Ah, vetiver. I know some forumites damn the note, but I actually like the lucidness it gives to a scent. It makes it lush and lovely, provided there's something else mixed with it. Dragon's Tears isn't as salty as I'd imagined it would be. This was a freebie scent, not something I'd normally pick up for myself, but it's all right. I don't think I'd be getting a bigger bottle of this, but I find the fragrance oddly clean and light for having dragon's blood, and that's a definite plus. The vetiver does wear down a wee bit and the dragon's blood does get a bit heavier, but not as intense as some of the other Ars Draconis fragrances I've tested. I don't think it's quite for me, but I could see others really getting into this fragrance. It's well-crafted. -doreen

Regan reminds me quite a bit of Dorian in the initial whiff-sniff, but as the skin chemistry works its magic (damn you!), I smell something else that doesn't quite sit well with me. It smells like sweetly melted plastic. And bug spray. Aw, poo. Tropical blooms just don't play nice with my skin. I can see someone else enjoying the heck out of Regan, but it's too sweetly floral for me. -doreen

My, this is kooky. I smell in Bathsheba cinnamon and spice, although that could be the carnation tricking me. Really spicy, and quite rockin'. Plum normally smells like candle wax on my skin. Initially, the plum note doesn't make an appearance, as the spices overwhelm in Bathsheba. Man, does this have some bite! As my skin chemistry works on beating Bathsheba into submission, I take another whiff and realise the spices have toned way down, revealing something that smells like... Poison?! Naw, couldn't be. Naaah... But it does sort of smell like something I'd find in the department store, which kind of takes all the fun out of a particular BPAL oil, especially when the scent comparison isn't particularly flattering for me. Nah, too "perfumey." The fragrance is a little too heady; just not for me. -doreen

I think I've had this free imp of Intrigue for a while now, as I had at first thought I'd reviewed it already. Nope, I hadn't. So here I am now. I dabbed a bit of Intrigue on a freckle and took a whiff. Cedar! Cedar is a note I'm kind of ambivalent with. It's not something I care for on its own, but mixed with the right combination of other scents, it can be great. In this scenario with Intrigue, the cocoa notes sweeten up the cedar, creating a very agreeable fragrance that would be nice on a guy or a woman. I find it nice, sort of like eating a dark chocolate bar amid the stacks of a library, hoping the librarian won't see you. Intrigue seems very mild, but with an illicit streak, like a nun with a wicked smirk. Or something. In any case, although I don't normally care for fragrances with a foody edge, I find Intrigue a wonderful blend with the cocoa and woods. Very enjoyable, and a solid contender for a bigger bottle if the scent stays true. -doreen

Oh god, apricot. This won't be pretty... Nope. Definitely not. Katharina was a freebie from the Lab, and I (eventually) test everything that is sent to me, whether the notes sound good or not. Katharina is no exception to my testing forays, despite the presence of the dreaded apricot. I can see someone else loving this, but not me. I generally dislike anything peach or apricot scented, and this smells very much like apricots, all right. It's fruity, and I'm sure it's nice, but I just can't deal with the smell of apricots. It's like rotting fruit to me. Bleh. -doreen

I normally don't curse on the forums, but holy snickerdoodles, this smells good. (See, I didn't curse after all, but you know what I really said to myself.) Lush, lush lemondrops. That's what I'm getting on my initial sniff. It's fresh, refreshing, juicy and gorgeous. I love lemon and citrus fragrances, and for the moment, Venice is no exception. It really makes me want some lemonade now, after I've made myself some tea. Tsk. I actually don't get any of the florals at first. Citrus notes are, by nature, not especially long-lasting, so I wasn't surprised to find the jasmine peeking her little head through the river of lemon juice, softly but slowly asserting herself more into the foreground. I like jasmine scents in general, providing that there are no other notes interfering and that the jasmine isn't too cloying. After about three minutes into the fragrance, the jasmine has taken control of Venice, with the lemons quietly undulating in the far back. I can smell a little of the rose as well, however this is mostly a Jasmine Party, but Venice still manages to be gentle. The oil itself is easy to sniff, as it isn't fading, but I don't feel that jasmine and company are incredibly "in your face" at all. Venice is nice. I definitely prefer the beginning lemondrop goodness to the jasmine takeover, but it's still a nice fragrance to have. Definitely a good choice for spring or early summer, and I will hold onto my imp while I contemplate on a larger bottle. -doreen

I put a decent helping of Czernobog on my skin from the free imp the Lab has so generously given me. Let's see how this puppy goes. Wet, it smells kind of oily and mystic to me. It's a familiar fragrance I've smelled before, though I can't quite place what note or combination of notes is giving the oil such a distinct flavour. It might be the myrrh. After about a minute as Czernobog and my skin exchange chemistry, I get the smell of... what the... motor oil? Wait, I don't recall rubbing my arm against a greased gear dusted with lemongrass, or whatever that is I smell back there. For those of you who haven't seen Czernobog in an imp, it actually does look dark enough to be something used for a machine. Okay, wait, now... it smells like minty pee. :::plunks imp into swap bag and goes to the sink to wash her arm::: -doreen

Hellfire smells like sweat-soaked leather on my skin when initially applied. Whoa! Sexy-sex! I normally love leather fragrances, so it astounds me that I've had this frimp from the Lab for so long and hadn't even bothered with it until this evening. I've dabbed a little bit on a freckle on my arm, and I'm reminded a lot of Torture King. The leather seems to have dried off a bit, but it still is strong, boosted by the smokiness coming from the tobacco. From my collection of BPAL Leather Scents, I would say that Hellfire is close to Torture King with a bit of tea-less Severin thrown in. It's more ethereal than Torture King, though not as toned-down as Severin. The leather becomes dry (smoked with tobacco, I guess) as the oil dries, but I view it as a nice variant. Fans of The Bow and Crown of Conquest should like this one, too, barring any note conflicts. I would consider getting a bottle of this, even though I have a gang of leather fragrances already in my box (hello, Dee and Torture King and Severin and De Sade and Bow...). Werd. -doreen

Although Rage has amber in it, this black amber varient is much darker than the stuff I'm normally used to. Rage is bitingly dark; Blood Amber this ain't. The heavier notes (black patchouli, or am I way off?) make me think of a black volcano spewing Rage-fragrance out in the land of Moldor. Ah, there's the jasmine note. Oddly, the lava is now soapy jasmine lava. I don't think Rage is quite the rage with me. I don't see myself wearing this often, if at all. It isn't an intensely repellent scent, just not my thing. -doreen

This smells like doughnuts. Oh wait, now that it's on my skin, it's changing. Hmm... Okay, it smells like honeybuns. Honeybuns served in a floral field, which masks much of the initial honeybun fragrance. Cairo was a free imp from the Lab which I've (finally) been able to try now. On my skin, Cairo is definitely a sweet scent, and once given time, the amber radiates and creates a resiny smell that overpowers most of the top notes I smelled earlier. I still get a vague honeyed smell, but the amber is thicker. Normally, I don't mind, as I'm a big fan of amber, but I think I would have liked a longer time with the initial scent. I'm going to be holding onto this frimp to see what else Cairo has in store for me. As an amber scent, it's quite nice, and it's different enough from the other amber scents I have to keep. I don't find it too cloying on me. Actually, after about ten minutes of settling, Cairo moves into a softer fragrance that allows the showcase of the citrus/lemon note and honey. Rockin'. -doreen

This smells... bizarre. I really can't determine off-the-cuff if I like this fragrance or not. One part of it intrigues me, while another repels. This smell reminds me of deeply-fragranced candles in a head shop or a rituals store. The berry is dark and rich, and I imagine it bitter if bitten into. It doesn't come off as powdery to me. The orange peel is stabbing sharp citrus notes into Fortunato. This is a strong fragrance with a lot of character. It's definitely something to wear if you want to get noticed. As the wearing continues, the oaken wood notes assert themselves while the orange peel kind of ebbs away, lost in the general murkiness of this fragrance. There is also an undercurrant of a musk; it smells sweaty. Perhaps that is the boozey note others have mentioned. Fortunato has become darker in only a short span of about five or ten minutes, max. It's as if one is descending into a cave, with the bitter berry fragrance still filling your senses as the world gets darker. After this scent adventure, I'm not sure if Fortunato will be something I would use often, if at all. However, it's too intriguing to casually dismiss it right away. I think I will need some time to deliberate further. -doreen

I had expected Night's Pavilion to be lighter and colder for some reason. Interesting. It's a lot more aquatic than anticipated, and with my initial swab... :::shoop!::: my skin sucks it up and mostly hides the scent from me. Where did it go? :::tries to sniff the trail on her arm::: It's weird; every time I think I smell the fragrance, it disappears. :::goes into full-scale arm-huffing::: Okay, I think I've found it. Maybe. Oh hell, I think this oil is just too light or too bland for me. I really can't smell a thing, and I put a decent swab of the oil onto my skin. Okay, I'm going to reapply. So, it's determined that I need a heck of a lot in order to get some fragrance goin', but once it's goin', I am quite fond of it. It's a light, fragranced floral, yes, but it smells as if the blossoms and stems have been ripped and torn apart. It isn't as aquating as other fragrances I've tried, now that I've gotten a good sniff. The floral itself is sweetly-fragranced, but not at all cloying. It leans more to the herbal sweetness rather than heady blooms. I feel like it's cousins to Spirits of the Dead. Night's Pavilion is quite a clean scent, and I do like it, once I've dabbed enough on. -doreen

I'm just trying this now. I know, it's taken me way long to crack open my bottle to see how I like it on my skin. I don't know why it's taken me so long. I got it from the Lab, even. I really am quite behind. I haven't even tried on my bottle of Beatrice! This smells very similar to Skadi and the Ice Queen, though I no longer have my bottles to compare. It's a very frosty scent, cold and icy. It isn't overwhelmingly minty, which is what I fear when dealing with cold, wintery scents. I pefer scents with pine than with mint, and Snow Moon works for me. It smells like a nice cold glass of gin. Ahh. Gin. Snow Moon, I imagine, is what a lot of people were hoping Numb to be like. Snow Moon would most assuredly be very refreshing during the summer months. In Florida, I believe our summer starts up sometime in April or May, so perhaps I'm not late in the game with testing this after all. -doreen

Tezcatlipoca smells like chocolate right off the bat. I think if I were to wear this at work, I'd caues serious chocolate cravings among my coworkers. It might get ugly.... It smells good. I'm not much for gourmandie fragrances, but I do like chocolate. Okay, love chocolate. The choco tapers off after some extended wear, but the light musky scent it leaves behind is fabulous. :::thumbs up::: -doreen

Red Lantern worried me in the bottle because it smelled buttery. I haven't had good experiences with fragrances that smelled buttery (Milk Moon and Miskatonic University being examples). Thankfully, on my skin, Red Lantern isn't as sweet and far less buttery than in the bottle. It loses a bit of its initial Gourmandie vibe. Rather, the tobacco asserts itself more. It's interesting. Definitely something I'd like to keep around longer. I wore it all day, and it kept quite a good throw. Red Lantern gets the seal of approval. -doreen

There's a dark smell in Smut that prevents me from immediately liking it. I think it's black patchouli, I'm not too sure. It's a bit bitter. Like coffee grounds. Or dirt. Minutes later, there isn't much change. It smells like dark patchouli, and that's what I pretty much get. Definitely not sweet. I definitely feel candygirl on this with the "vitamin" smell. Oh well, we tried, ol' Smuttie-poo, didn't we? It just didn't fly. -doreen

I smell mint. This reminds me of a mojito. Sweetly minty. It also reminds me of gum. Well, if my breath is kickin', I can line my mouth with Utrie, but as it stands, I doubt I'll wear this. But I'm always glad to try out stuff from the Lab. Gimmie! I'll be the guinea piggie! -doreen

Yegads, this is sweet. Yegads, there's the rose. Nah, Phantom isn't me. The fragrance starts off really sweet, then the rose takes over, creating this powdery, feminine fragrance that doesn't work with me. It actually smells like deodorant. I could see this smelling really good on someone else, but not, nope not, me. I'm normally not this terse with reviews, but... I can't say much more except what I've said. -doreen