cuervosueno

most of the labs leather notes don't work well on me. That said, I'm crazy about Quincey Morris, and like Coyote. Are you seeing a trend there? It is the lighter leather scents that I like. I imagined this as a spicy Quincey Morris. Instead, it's.....leather. Almost all leather. I never really get Snake Oil, though this is sweeter than just straight up leather. Well, guess I'll stick to my Quincey Morris.

Wow! Super fruity, and while at first it is really intriguing, the fruitiness overwhelms it a bit. At the end, it smells like fruit cereal--like crunch berries or something. With snake oil. It is intriguing, but not me.

This should be a natural for me, which is why I bought it. I love patchouli, I love jasmine. I even like white florals (so Magnolia would be fine). I didn't know what Kush was, and interestingly, it turns out to be a very strong form of cannabis, high in THC, but with a sweet spicy scent (or so says Wikepedia). And I've enjoyed being the other woman, the few times I was. I should like this. In the bottle, I get mostly jasmine with a slight perfumy note (which is how opium plays out on my skin. I also smell other white flowers--the magnolia I think? Wet, I get no patchouli at all. This may end up being too floral for me. Alas, I don’t think I can do BPAL opium notes, because this is getting really perfumy on me in the same way Mum moon did, which I ended up not keeping. How sad! As it dries down some of the perfumy notes go away, but I'm still pretty overwhelmed with opium and flowers and none of my beloved patchouli. Damn!

Proud, contented, and aglow with joy, she has conquered her lover with her charms, and she knows with all her soul that he is completely and utterly devoted to her. In bliss, she basks in the blessings of the God of Love: golden amber, oude, red sandalwood, massoia bark, honey, and currant. I'm with you, Tarotgirl, I'll buy almost anything if it includes honey. And while this is close to some other beloved honey scents: honey moon, Litha, it is also different enough to interest me. In the bottle, honey, but a particularly glorious honey. On, the honey blooms and I can smell the amber as well, which makes it a bit powdery, but in a good way. I believe massoia bark would give it a spicey, clove/cinnamon like scent, and I get that too. I don’t smell any currant, but I do get a nice white floral scent (though that is not in here!). It all blends together to be the most fragrant honey scent. I suppose the currant is adding sweetness, and perhaps that is what I am identifying as floral. It doesn't have the sharp thyme edge of Honey Moon, and is more similiar to Litha, but still not so similiar I can't have both. I don't get much of the sandalwood at all.

In the bottle, hello, Spanish Moss! strong masculine note, like men’s cologne. Not as dark as vetiver. Ambergris? It also has a nice spice....My god I’d be crazy about a man wearing this. I like it best after the spanish moss fades, and I get the delicious spice--cloves and pepper....mmmm...Still, even after that there is a bit more spanish moss than I like. It makes a little too masculine for me. I'll have to try it more. it may be ok once i get used to it. It is very much a wild man scent....in the best sense.

This one surprised me. I didn’t even want to get it, because I thought I wouldn’t like the coconut, but what a surprise! In the bottle, I get vetiver and coconut, which is really quite delicious. On, the vetiver doesn't overwhelm (but I can always wear vetiver, so....). Instead, it softens what might otherwise be too sweet. On me, this is like a coconut creme brulee, but not too sweet. Really nice. One of my surprise faves of the snakes I've tried.

Snake Oil with sugar cane, frankincense, champaca, opoponax, labdanum, and hyssop. This smells like frankincense, champaca and opoponax in the bottle and when wet, which I love. The opoponax is a little more regular (bitter) myhrr than sweet myhrr for my taste, and while I like this, the unfortunate hyssop starts sneaking in. It is very similiar to King cobra though. Just slightly more bitter. I like King Cobra better, and this fades fairl quickly on me.

In the bottle this is so strong it is almost vile. I kept thinking what IS that scent? Then I realized it was cassia. All I get is cassia, cassia, cassia. After awhile it fades to....lighter cassia with a hint of vanilla. I don't get the ginger at all, sadly. Its ok but a bit one dimensional. I like the vanilla spice mix it dries down to, but there are other scents I like better.

yep, this is gorgeous. Like everyone else has noted, it is like a very cinnamony constant comment tea. Orange, spice, lots of cinnamon. I like it quite a bit, even if the cinnamon is a bit overwhelming. However, I wonder if I will like it over time, because while it is lovely, it is somewhat straightforward in smell, and not particularly a stand out. Right now, though, I'm enjoying it.

Soft, yet sociopathic: white carnation, iris, orange blossom, and sugared cream. Zarita is full on orange blossom to my nose, at least in the bottle. When I put her on, still that heavy orange blossom, so heavy and wet it is as if I am in a warm humid greenhouse, with orange trees in bloom. I love that, even though it is more girly than I usually like (but I do like me some white florals, so...). After a bit, the orange turns milder, and I can smell something sweet and creamy too. It is as creamy as I would like, but it blends nicely with the orange blossom. I don't get much--if any--carnation. I don't know what I'll think of this in the end, but right now I'm enjoying the blast of orange blossom, just dipped with cream.

Mmmm...I love the mint in this. Like everyone else said, its a blast of mint at first, then we get the creamy vanilla. Wet, this reminds me more of Snowblind then of Lick It, which is lovely, because I love Snowblind. But after a bit the mint fades and I'm left with a softer, just slightly minty Dorian type blend. I can't decide if I need a whole bottle of this, but I might.

I'm decanting snakes, but I decided to review this one right away, because it smelled so good I wanted to try it out immediately. I put just a tiny bit on, and yes, it is gorgeous cocoa and snake oil--chocolate and spice all at once. I immediately thought, oh my god, aged Velvet! But you know, it goes a bit soapy on me. I'll have to let it settle, but right now I think I prefer Velvet. ETA: most of the cocoa went away and it is very like snake oil now. I put some Tell-Tale heart on near it to see how close they were, and I find them fairly similiar. Guess I don't need a bottle of Boomslang.

this is the one I most wanted--and lucky me, I got it! Unfortunately, True Love doesn't seem to work well with me..... And I shouldn't be surprised by that at all! In the bottle, it is bright, sweet but not too sweet. Peach blossom or honeysuckle maybe and the sweetness of the mandarin. When it hits my skin, the golden scent amps, and I can smell the initial sweetness, but also the soft golden scent of frankincense. Well, perhaps saying I can smell it is overstating it. I can't smell much at all unless I press my nose to my wrist. Then I get that faint waft of golden floral and resin, and yes, it is almost honeylike. No patchouli at all, which is too bad, because it is a favorite of mine. This faded fairly quickly--in about the time it took to watch the Westminster Dog Show (about 2 hours). After an hour, it was the powdery gold note of amber. it is very soft. Just sweet enough. But not, alas, spicy enough for me--I never get the patchouli or my beloved carnation. This might age well...and perhaps get stronger? Guess I'm just not made for True Love. Perhaps I can swap it for Passion? Now that's more to my taste, I bet... eta: hmmm....I was wrong about the fading. Perhaps I just hadn't put enough on. I put more on around 11 when I was writing this, and this morning I can still smell it, faintly golden, slightly fruity. Still not my fave, but it does last quite a long time.

the notes aren't listed on Hod, but it sure smells like carnation to me. It's a gorgeous creamy floral. I love it!

I'm in love with this scent too! I got it to annoint my TAL conjure bag, but haven't even got to that yet. I put it on last night and couldn't stop sniffing myself. And first, I get almond--like the scent in Horn of Plenty, but that turns bitter on me, and this doesn't. It could be cherry--I also have a hard time telling them apart. Then it goes gorgeously fruity, and it as it this stage that I can't get enough of it. I kept thinking it's orange, but not. I think Yeahbutno is right on: it smells like Orangina, a drink that always makes me happy! And there is a soft dusty spice in there. I keep thinking just a dusting of cinnamon sugar? but it is not as sharp as most cinnamon...so allspice? cloves? I can't tell, but it is so delicious and gorgeous. It fades very quickly on my skin--was gone in less than 2 hours. But it stays on fabric--I put some on my other mojo bag and kept sniffing it last night. I'm sure it would work well in a scent locket. And while I haven't tried it out yet for it's purpose, I'm sure it would work. Like Queen of the Nile, it has such a gorgeous scent that it makes me feel happy and confident to wear it, so I'm sure that would work in terms of attraction. (I feel kind of self-conscious when I wear Dixie Love Perfume, for example, because it is so strong and not really pleasant to my nose). I'm even more in love with Beth for making this, so at least I know it works to a degree! Amor=

There are a lot of notes I really like in this, so I finally was able to get ahold of a decant. I sniffed it: ah leather. Something dark. Something fruity. Not for me. I tried to pass it off a leather-loving friend, but she said it was too sweet. A couple of weeks later I try it again: wow! This is really nice. My skin amps leather like crazy, so I have to be cautious with it. Though I always like Beth's leather notes, some of them just overwhelm, like Iago and Loviatar. Then there are ones I adore like Quincey Morris (and unexpected favorite of mine) and Coyote. This is like that, a sweet slightly fruity leather. I couldn't remember what was in it when I tried to get another friend to try it, so I told him leather and pomegranite, and it does kind of smell like that on me. Imagine my surprise when I read the notes. I can, however, pick out the champaca blossom now--that is what gives it that sweetness (champaca is also a favorite of mine). I smell a bit of patchouli, but the vetiver doesn't overwhelm any other scents though it no doubt contributes to the darkness of the scent (I love vetiver too, but it is a bit commanding at times). I don't really smell the ambergris or the ginger. And where IS that fruity note coming from? Anyway, I like this a lot, and its tempting to get a bottle....but I'll use up the imp first and see.

another GC scent I've managed not to try up til this point, when i got it as a frimp. In the imp: what a glorious floral! What is that? It's familiar, and at first I thought it was just one of the lab's roses that actually is ok for me, but I could smell something else that was very sweet....but couldn't place it. Wet: pure wisteria! As soon as I looked up the notes I recognized it. I adore the scent of wisteria--last year I bought one and planted it and hope it comes back this year (I'm not always successful keeping my plants alive). This is sweet, creamy, intoxicating--just like the plant itself. the rose is so faint as to be inoffensive for this rose-hater. Verdict? I wouldn't buy a bottle of it, but I love the imp for the beautiful images it conjures up: sitting on a porch in early spring. There is still a little coolness to the air, but the wisteria has bloomed, and its fragrant purple flowers are a breath of sweetness and promise for the season to come. and this would make a great bath addition when I'm really looking for a spring scent. In that way it reminds me of Prague, another floral I wouldn't want a bottle of, but love in the imp as a harbinger of spring.

I keep getting frimps of things I swore I reviewed...but didn't. Wanton is one of those. In the imp, this is a lush green floral, and I was intrigued enough to try it on. Wet: yup, there is rose in this, but its not a bad rose (as most are to me), rather a soft, wet rose, slightly powdery and sweet. Dry: now I can smell the patchouli, and damn if rose and patchouli don't make a nice mix. Who would have thunk it? I'm a rose-hater, but I find this pleasant enough. the patchouli gives it a nice earthy tone that grounds it, as does the sandalwood. Don't think I'd wear it much, but it's not bad!

I tried this without being able to recall the notes, so I'll give you my first impressions, odd as they are. In bottle: beautiful green--slightly piney, slightly sweety, with just a bit of an aquatic note Lovely! Wet: those things continue. There is an underlying sweet greenness that is almost but not quite minty. Very lovely! Dry: hmmm....suddenly I'm hit with soapiness. Will this fade? I hope so! At this point I decided to check the notes. What a surprise! Where is the frankincense and opopponax (I thought these were the same thing--maybe different varieties?). I'm not sure I get the myhrr either. After the soap fades it is green and herbal and slightly peppery. The herbal note is something I'm not crazy about--almost like hyssop. this is one of the oddest blends I've tried, because its one of the few in which I'm not able to pick out any of the notes. I just don't smell the ingredients listed, though my overall impression is not much different than other reviewers. This is a dark herbal with resin on me, but not one I like. too bad it didn't smell on me like it does in the bottle!

This sounded delicious, esp. with the smoked ginger and carnation, so I ordered it right away. It isn't like I expected it to be, but my review will be similiar to Spanish Violet's. This is an earthy scent that seems very appropriate to the artwork. In the bottle: I wondered if I'd made a mistake. This is earthy--I can smell vetiver and patchouli--but it is also quite sharp and astringent. I also thought eucalyptus, and that's before I read the review. Wet: The sharpness disappears on the skin, thankfully, and I get vetiver and patchouli and something green beneath that. It has incredible throw--it is completely overwhelming the scent on my other wrist. The patchouli in this is quite dark, and perhaps a bit sharp? Maybe that is the green edge? At this stage it is all earthy--with almost a dirt note plus the patchouli. This is very masculine and sharp. At this stage I'm still wondering if I will keep the bottle. Dry: It really settles down nicely. The vetiver and patchouli settle down and I get a bit of the musk, so it because a dark earthy scent, but earthy in the best way (not like dirt!). As these notes fade a bit, I get just a hint of spice, which could be either the carnation or the ginger. If I press my nose very close to my wrist the ginger comes out more, and it is smoky, but this is a fairly hard to detect note on me. Final verdict: I like it. I wish the carnation and ginger were stronger, but I still like this scent quite a bit. And it bears more testing before I decide if I'll keep the entire bottle or not, but it is good, and suits the art well. eta: a couple hours later, the initial notes have faded and the smoked ginger is in evidence. I love the way these salon scents change, and I real love how this blends turns out to be a soft spice on me. Very nice! I also read Sarada's review below, and noted the comparison to malediction, which, fortuitously was a frimp in the same package. So I compared them and totally agree--these are absolutely the same family of scents, but He-goat is softer, sweeter, not as stern. I'm not crazy about malediction, but love He-goat.

I'm first! So exciting, and so much pressure.... (eta: ok, I thought I was first but littlegreykitten beat me to it. Still, I had the excitement of thinking I was first!) I love vanilla and carnation and patchouli, so this was a natural for me, though I couldn't quite figure out how they would all fit together. And I'm afraid I still can't, because as lovely as this is on me, it is absolutely overwhelmed by the vanilla and caramel. In the bottle: straight up sweet caramel, but if I keep sniffing, I get just a hint of floral from the carnation, and just a touch of patchouli--think Samhain here. But everything is pretty overwhelmed by the caramel. On my skin: Still caramel, with the very faintest spicy floral beneath it (ie. carnation). After a bit, the carnation gets a bit stronger, and some of creamy caramel scent lightens up--but then there is that vanilla. I don't really get anything else. I like this, but it is very much a gourmand scent on me, and mostly caramel/vanilla. I would have been more pleased had some of the other notes made an appearance. I'll try this again, and add to this post if I note any changes, but right now, this is a foody-scent lover's delight, but probably not so appealing for those who don't like these type of scents. I can't quite connect it with the artwork....unless this Devil tempts through candy! eta: after a couple of hours, the caramel fades down enough that the carnation is in evidence. I do always enjoy the way the Salon scents morph. And this stage makes me think I might keep the bottle after all...

Vengeance can be yours. Interesting that somewhere when this was resurrected, there was an old link that said this was pretty much the original voodoo blend.....less vetiver? Was that it? In any case, i just got a sniffie of this to try and it is gorgeous...despite its intended purpose. Dragon's Blood for sure, but also a floral...I can see why people say lilac and perhaps that's it, but it would be cool if it was a night-blooming flower for the bat part of the deal... Anyway, it's dragon's blood plus floral, and unexpectedly soft and lovely. eta: here, by the way, is Beth's post about this from the questions about Bat's Blood thread. I believe this post was 2004: I wonder if that means the original voodoo formula needs more dragon's blood, or that there isn't dragon's blood in the BPAL version? Interesting question, but to my (untrained) nose, this smells like dragon's blood.

I managed to swap for an imp of this since I wanted to compare it with Lick It Again. Now why did I have to do that? Because now, of course, I'm craving this blend.... At first, they seem almost the same. In the imp, this is a bit sweeter and less sharp peppermint than the 06 version. It is more than just candy cane (as I find Lick It again to be) and more creamy peppermint. When they are wet, I have a hard time telling the difference, though this definitely has more vanilla. but it is when they dry that the difference appears to me. Lick It is gorgeous peppermint and the smoothest, sweetest vanilla ever. Gorgeous vanilla cream, like the filling of a really divine chocolate, except for instead of chocolate it has a wee bit of peppermint crushed on it. I ADORE THIS! And because I wanted these blends mostly for the vanilla, of course I find Lick It, with it's much stronger, creamier vanilla, to be much superior to 06's Lick It Again. And this lasts and lasts, while LIA fades fairly quickly. Well, my imp is a year old. Perhaps LIA will age to this gorgeous vanilla? I can only hope. In the meantime, I'm kicking myself for not getting this when it was available. Just goes to show you never know--I remember thinking now why would I want to smell like a candy cane? What did I know?

I ordered the "other" moon, Brian's creation, sure I would like it. And it was ok, but not a keeper. I was sure I wouldn't like this moon--all those florals? But the last two reviews convinced me it might be worth trying. I don't usually like florals, but I do like jasmine, so who knows? So I swapped for an imp. And I like it. Not enough to hunt down a bottle, but I do like it. In the imp it is pure sweet floral. What I smell most is jasmine, of course, but it is a softer type of jasmine than some of the other blends I like. I also get a soft pear, which is a note I'm discovering I'm fond of. (See, even after 2+ years, BPAL can surprise me). It's a heady, intoxicating floral that I find quite enjoyable. After a couple of hours, I do get just a hint of cucumber. I'm not crazy about cucumber as a note (I may be the only person who disliked Blue Moon), so I'm glad it is not too heavy. I also get a soft skin musk, which I'm also not crazy about. (i like my musks heavy and robust). So the verdict is I like it at first, less as it lingers. It does last quite awhile, though the throw is not strong. In the early stages, it reminds me a bit of Ava Luxe's Venus Sands, but I like Venus Sands better, so I guess I don't need more of this.

It's hard to imagine I can say anything that hasn't already been said, but..... Dark rich chocolate in the imp. Not so much dark chocolate as fudge brownies. Very rich, very nice. After it dries, though, something wierd happens. Is it kind of plastic-like? Or is it like Sophia Helix said....something is channeled in it? Either way, I REALLY wanted it off me too, and I'm not sure why because certainly other BPAL scents have been worse on my skin. But I was going out the door so I left it on, though I was bothered by the rather strong throw. After about an hour, I thought what is that gorgeous scent? It was Candy Butcher. It had morphed into a brilliant cakey vanilla, with just a hint of chocolate. I really like the vanilla phase, but the in between one....ugh. Glad I only have an imp, which I probably will use up.