Zii

ITB: Oh hello, Vetiver, glad we get along because that's all this smells like. Wet: Still getting vetiver and pretty much nothing else. Maybe there's a hint of green hanging about. The musk shines through after a while, and this really smells like that time I put my Haitan vetiver SN and Siberian Musk SN together. Drying: This feels a little more like stone now, with a sharpness adding a more complex undertone to the scent. There is a mineral feel that could be the dried blood, but it's not an overwhelmingly bloody feeling scent. Dry: Blood is much clearer now, and comes across as a wee bit multi-vitamin scented. It's very much a secondary player to the musk and vetiver though, and the tiny bit of extra sharpness I don't like is very likely to age away. This is another I'll be holding onto for some aging before making a final call.

ITB: A woody metallic. Wet: This is the most eerie and odd wood scent I have ever smelled and I love it. There is a slightly sharp and discordant pine needle winding through a metallic, oddly green and dark musk. It's much higher in the scent register than I was expecting, not brooding but instead a little screechy, though not in a bad way. Drying: I really feel like I've smelled wood like this before. It's not cedar or pine, and perhaps this is a perfume and not a wood, seeing as there is something very perfumy about this. It's also surprisingly feminine. Dry: There's something very sweet about this now that it's dry, and the throw has increased as I've been wearing it. There's a bit of sunscreen type smell lurking in the back that I'm not totally interested in. This is one that will need some aging before I decide to part with it or not.

ITB: Offputtingly foody. Lots of ginger. Wet: This smells like really high quality candied ginger that still has it's really peppery kick. There is something very sweet about this that's taking me aback slightly, though the scent itself is quite pleasant. Drying: Amber! That odd note under the ginger is the amber! The amping of the amber has made it a little bit like red hots, though the ginger lends it a sophisticated rather than dime store feel. I am stunned that I am getting none of the cedar as someone who amps cedar, but the ginger and amber are way dominating this, with a little kick of spice from the pepper. Dry: This is getting dustier and sweeter. It's clinging to that Red Hots feeling, but now there is a faint hint of lemon. This is a very snuggly sword, and I can see myself wearing this a lot on days where I need a pick-me-up. So far this is the sleeper hit of my Ragnarok decants!

INB: An almost cleaner fluid scent, with something else slightly green. Wet: Pretty faint. I have to dab a second drop on my skin to start getting this. It's cold, green and herby as it blooms. Very removed from the lemon pledge ozone winter notes usually do on my skin. I see myself wearing this a lot in the summer. It's crisp, cool and light. Drying: Not getting anything really minty (thank god). Instead this reads as a very green ozone, slightly lemony, a bit sappy and very frosty. It's bordering on soapy, but not tipping into unfortunate territory. Dry: I'm really digging this dry stage. Something's shifted a little into faintly amber or incense, and while the soapy cleanness doesn't go away, the scent is complex enough that I really don't mind. It's not leaping to the top of my summer scents list, but it is surprisingly good on my skin.

ITB: It's less gag worthy than when I did my bottle sniffs the day I got my decants, but YIKES. Dirt, blood and guts. Wet: OH GOD. This perfume is exactly what bones with some meat on the smell like when they get left out. Sour, rancid and dirty. Drying: Okay, this is moving towards something more wearable, though it's still a blood and guts sort of scent. It's becoming very metallic and salty, with something that almost smells like multi-vitamins. Someone mentioned urine in an earlier review and I get that, though other scents have been more like that. Dry: Sweet corn? I give up on this scent. I do not want to smell even remotely like any of it's phases so far and it's making me gag. To the sink to wash it off.

ITB: Sharp, salty herbs. Very green, bitter and salty. Wet: This really smells familiar, but I can't place it. It's very green and salty and a bit lemony. It's doing a lot of the same things Yog Sothoth does on me, though it's greener, sharper and darker. Drying: This is a strange egg, and I have no idea how to describe it. I would say this is a sharp, herby green first, and a lemony deep aquatic second. Dry: Something a little like dusty stone is creeping in here. This is not at all a bad scent, but it is very close to some other perfumes I own and prefer, like Yog. It's just a little too bitter and dark for me.

ITB: Delicious green ginger. Wet: Very true to my first impression, but the patchouli is much more in my face. Combined with ginger, this is just on the right side of too sharp for me. Drying: Powdery and slightly herby, but still very patch dominated. It's not as sharp now, which is good because I'm not sure I could handle that sharpness forever. Dry: This is gotten much closer to my skin, as patchouli heavy blends often do. I miss some of the sappy greenness from the wet stage, but there is a seductive sweetness (perhaps the cistus?) and I cannot stop huffing myself.

ITB: Very much getting the sweet tarts vibe other people have noticed, but there is something about this that just made me itch to try it. Wet: There is still someting very berry like about it, though it is much less artificial. I am getting the opoponax for sure, along with the slightly sickly mint ice note. The ambergris is quick to cut through as this warms though, and it is morphing into a stange and amazing aquatic. Drying: Holy cow, this is stunning on me right now. The scent is getting drier and more woody, like the carcass of a ship getting sun bleached on the shore. There is a lingering sweetness, but it's not distinct, and blends really well with the salty notes as the woods warm and brighten on my skin. This is exactly what I was hoping Skadi would be, sweet and feminine, but still hard and cold at the same time. Dry: The fruitiness has died way back now, leaving a kick of wood and a lot of that icy cold note Beth is so good at. Sometimes the mint snow note can go medicinal, but not in this. The one downside is that my hand is slightly itchy. I've never had issues with these notes, so it's probably nothing serious. This is just a yummy and amazing winter scent for me, and is still feminine without being out of my style.

Blue musk, white sandalwood, black currant, jasmine leaf, green tea, and ylang ylang. Alas, I suspect the black currant is to blame for the really odd, slightly rancid fruity thing going on with this. I rested it for the weekend thinking it was just the cold and travel shock, and while it did improve, there is this fermented sweetness that I really don't like. It's a shame, because when it's dry the musk is utterly beautiful, but the currant and ylang ylang aren't worth fighting through to get to that soft dry stage. Off to swaps.

Gilman House Hotel leaps to mind, though there is a slightly sinister edge to that that you may not like. But I get a very sharp, sappy, and slightly floral green scent.

Wet: If they rehydrated the dry rose in zombi, it would smell like this. it's a rotten, weird and not at all lovely rose. Not interested. The hunt for a rose blend I like continues.

Wet: Almost medicinally sharp and cold. They are NOT kidding about the blast of ozone. It's pretty much all I'm getting. Drying: I am getting some broken sappy wood now and this is just amazing! There's the sharp ozone, the warm wood, and something else that must be olibanum. (Google tells me olibanum is just another word for frankinsence, which might explain the smokey base notes) Dry: if you don't like ozone, steer clear. I love ozone, and the other notes keep it from doing the screamy thing that kept me from loving lightning.

This was so rancid I could barely convince myself to put it on my skin and it did not get better. It was savory in a rotting way, dusty and metallic. NO THANK YOU.

My label's a wee bit smudged, but I think it's mccclxxviii. Wet: Lemon pledge. Oh dear... Dry: Yup...Lemon pledge or lemon candies. There's something a little vanilla going on that reminds me a bit of lemon heads candy, in that there is something foody about the lemon when it's not being overly sharp. Not offensive, but VERY much something i would never wear.

Wet: Moldering leaves. Like when you kick up a leaf pile and some of the leaves are still dry and spicy and crunchy, but most of them are crumbling and molding. I am definitely getting the labdanum and patchouli and the oakmoss is doing it's thing and adding great depth without being overstated. Drying: The labdanum is sweetening this up, bringing it out of the actual dirt scent category and making it more the idea of leaves and fall. It's incredibly smokey and unlike any of the other fall blends I have. Dry: Utterly stunning. Smoke and dirt and something I can't quite place. It's almost apple cider, but not exactly that either. Basically this is everything I hope Samhain would be and I am going to wear this a lot.

Wet: Fruity candy. Plum and pomegranate. Honestly I am amazed at how much I like this, seeing as these types of scents usually smell way too fake on me. And now it smells like grape scented erasers. Fortunately that burned off quickly, but now I can barely find it. I'm getting a faintly fruit infused honey now. Drying: I'm finally getting the sandalwood, and maybe a bit of spicy carnation (Not really sure what the florals in this smell like). But I really can't quite shake the grape vibe from earlier. It's a lot less artificial now, but it's still not something I'm keen on smelling like. Dry: Not at all my thing. It's a step up from the usual awful fake fruits that typically happen with my chemistry, but I think this is still a pass for me. I can't ever see myself reaching for it.

Wet: Fruity? It smells almost plum like for a moment before it resolves into what must be the vanilla. The cognac is not playing very nicely though, and I can't quite shake this plum thing. Drying: There is still something fruity hanging about, but I'm getting much more of the vanilla and tobacco now. It's much smokier and much more what I was hoping for now. The incense is blooming on my skin as well. HONEY! The foody smell is honeyed incense! The way it's playing with the vanilla is a bit strange. Dry: Okay, here's the legendary black lace yumminess. It's like marshmellows and smoke and softness. It is a very velvety rich scent now that I really like. It's a bit girly for my tastes, but it's super seductive and warm. Eh... Maybe it was because I tested something amazeballs before this, but I'm just not feeling it. I have other things that fill my smokey incense needs, and I'm just not completely sold. I'll keep it around for a retest, but I not sure the dry is worth the lingering berry oddness at the beginning.

So happy to have an imp of this!!! Wet: Honeyed patchouli is spot on. The honey isn't super heavy, which is a blessing because often honey is cloying on me. I'm getting a little pepper kick in the back of my nose as well. Drying: There is something woody lurking in the pepper, which must be the massoia bark. I am also getting the incense a lot more now. The patchouli has really backed off, leaving this amazing warm honeyed incense that I can't stop huffing. Dry: The patchouli is pretty much gone, which is a bit of a shame, because I love patch. But what's left is one of the first BPAL honey scents I can wear without getting a headache. What I'm left with is mostly amber and myrrh, with a strong back-up from the honey and beeswax. There is still the kick from the pepper and patchouli (and maybe saffron?)but they are very much secondary players. Verdict? This scent is nothing short of orgasmic on me. it's mysterious, feminine without being girly and utterly delicious. The throw is huge, so I will be savoring this imp for a while.

My top 5: The Soldier Black Rider Placophobia Yog Sothoth Totentanz None of you like things I am familiar with, so sorry about my uselessness with reccing.

BPAL's signature really revolves around the three main LE updates, Halloweenies, Yules, and the Lupercalia update. We're going to see the Carnival come back, which is another signature event. So it's one of the bittersweet aspects of BPAL. But the GC is huge and filled with great scents that I'm sure will fit a theme of your choice.

Check the for sale section for sure! Sylvia is my fav and I've recently been able to get some of the hair gloss and an imp of the perfume.

I'm really bad at reviewing these blends because they are so complex, but I'll give it a shot. The chocolate must be tempered by the white chocolate, because it's sweet and not in your face. I am getting clove, sandalwood and what must be catnip. As it dries it gets a little dusty to my nose, but it is still very nice. It's a clean, slightly foody scent. Not something I want to smell like all the time, but I'm happy to have it.

Black Phoenix and Horror Unthinkable and Unexpected are really great gothic scents. A Howl in the Darkness is surprisingly light and warm for such a dark theme (werewolves!) so it might appeal to your sweeter tastes while still hitting your gothic vibes.

These aren't all quite in the scent profiles you listed, but they are some of my favorites, so I thought I'd give you a run-down. Some of the ones I'm listing might be dupes from older years that you might have, but I thought I'd list them anyway: Sylvia: Snuggly brown musk, spicy carnation, leather balsam, bourbon vanilla, terebinth pine, yew berry, and a touch of clove. I know you said no pine, but this is a really snuggly complex and spicy warm pine. It's sister bath oil Sudsy She Wolf, is also divine. The Spell of the Eastern Sea: Sea salt, kelp, and twisting willows. An aquatic without aquatics. It's a very green, sharp salt air sort of scent and it might get around your chemistry issues with aquatics. Lurid Library: The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants. This is a lovely incense blend with a really nice smokey warm feeling to it.

So I tried calocyclas and loved the combination of pepper and leather. I am looking for scents that have this combo, bonus if it's GC. Other things in the similar leather and spice family that I've tried include Black Rider (love it) and Hatta (also love it, but it's warmer than what I'm really looking for).