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Hmmm, I agree. Could it be the civet?

Fettered in the Shackles of the Drug comes to mind. It should not be hard to find a decant. It is better than Carnivale Diabolique but similar to my nose. I just tested Paysage and I recommend it, but test first, if you are not sure about the mugwort. The drydown is sublime, though. It went from, "maybe I need to wash this off," to, "I think I need a bottle or two!" Debauchery, Anathema, and Belle Epoque are all high on my list of favorites. Finally, it may be difficult to find, but Radiance of the Opium Dream is exquisite, if tuberose isn't a deal breaker note. Mum moon and Red Lantern are well loved and I think they're divine but the above are my off the beaten path recommendations. I had no idea how much I loved Beth's opium scents until just now! Guess I need to track down Parliament of Monsters and Romanti_goth now...and The Snow at Dusk may be a winner, I've yet to try it but it's getting great reviews.

No one's said it yet but I will, that spreadsheet is bloody genius!

This does not begin well, as it smelled like hairspray in the imp, but I persevered in the spirit of exploration. Green initially while wet, an undercurrent of sweet from the amber, and hippy dippy patchouli. Elemi gives this an almost citrus edge, with green aquatic suggestions from the? green amber and perhaps tobacco flower. Is an aquatic resin possible? The light of a smoky golden topaz, crystalized into mineral is the synesthesia I envision. Drying, sniffing my wrist is becoming more compulsory. The tobacco flower with perhaps help from the vetiver are present as a contraposition to the crystalline elements of amber and patchouli. The ornate smoky topaz sits on a black velvet cushion. Drydown, now this becomes exquisite. The green, aquatic edge has softened. Tobacco and patchouli are dominant but the champaca, darkened by vetiver are adding a smoky quality, without smelling of incense. The green amber is a new take on resin for this nose. It is green and vegetable but resinous and smoky at the same time. I imagine that this will age beautifully as amber and patchouli are wont to do. I'm suspicious that this will be a sleeper hit as fresh can only suggest the magnificent olfactory glory this will likely become. I'll retest in about 3 months to get a better idea but damn the torpedoes, I'll probably need a bottle!

Black Annis is a personal favorite, if you like musk too. Licorice whip is great too. I spray that on everything!

The Come and See series suggest the Apocalypse to me, literally: Scales of Deprivation Bow and Crown of Conquest Great Sword of War Death on a Pale Horse Representative of the stages of the apocalypse, according to John, the Revelator. And each one is a winner! Bow and Crown is my personal favorite.

Teak wood and blood musk perfectly melded. Initially the teak dominates, the musk on drydown. I didn't smell anything extraneous to the listed notes: no metal or blood. Teak wood is it's own thing, it smells like well polished, hard wood furniture: Slightly sharp and high end. Blood musk is less skanky than red, less citrus than black, and not high pitched like white. It strikes a balance between red and black, more like the feral musk in Baby Goat or Coyote, but slightly more mineral, and it hints of blood, like iron or red clay. It suggests these things, rather than smelling like them. Perfect! Very bpal. Very woody. As I'm a woods and a musk girl, this is my thang. Bottle worthy.

2015 version Wet: sugary fruit Dry: browned sugar I see why this is popular! I think I'll get my paws on a bottle. Sorry, I don't have any older versions to compare to this year's offering. I remember trying this many years ago and fresh, or maybe it's just this year's iteration, but my decant has more fruit and less burnt sugar than my memory of the original.

I found a 2009 version, aged til now (2015) to review, since the new update has this recurring for the 2015 Yules...so, in case you are wondering how your decant will age... in vitro--def. a red musk blend, smells a bit foody, like caramel wet--red musk, honey, a bit of caramel, very faint patchouli drydown--reminds me a bit of Red Lantern in the drydown, due to the red musk, caramel, there is a trace bit of the champaca incense but only because I read the notes and know it is there. There is also a woody, balsalmic note, the "celery" note that others noticed is probably the galbanum. It almost smells like a tobacco leaf note. In this quite aged imp, the red musk is very calm and soothing, not as sexy and in your face as it can be. Wondering if I will need to get a bottle of this with the 2015 Yules? I like this quite a bit, but I have a bottle of Red Lantern and I am not sure this trumps it. It does have honey...maybe I will try layering the new decant with this aged decant and make my decision from that. If I come up with anything amazing I will report back...

In vitro: White floral, gardenia predominantly Wet: Floral! White florals, which are not screechy or high pitched, but soft and whispy, which could be the contribution of the sandalwood. Drying: A bit of the musk comes out, no cognac, some ambrette (musky and sweet) Late drydown: White musk predominant with a hint of fading gardenias and ambrette. The sandalwood is evident now and it is glorious. No cognac to be sniffed. Final thoughts: I was moving this imp to the retry pile when I noticed the drydown was the type of white musk and sandalwood I really, really like. Prior to that, I was just going to keep the imp, because I like florals, and gardenia particularly is lovely but this lacked complexity. However, I can tell by the late drydown that this will develop into the sort of skin musk I really, really like so now I have decided I will get a big bottle when I do my combined Weenie/Yule order. Aged, this will be magnificent! ETA--this is the 2015 version

This one is hard to describe, but I'll try. Wet, Dry, it's not much change. Initially, I got a blast of minty paste, the kind from kindergarten. It transported me back to being a school child. But then the perfume did take it's final form and it lasted. A long,long time! And I was transported instead to the late nineties, early 2000, when I wore big name perfume from department stores and floriental was the rage... This reminds me of big, celebrity designed perfume from the nineties: Specifically, Elizabeth Arden Provocative Woman. I get the purple fruits, plum rather than grape, floral patchouli (no wood or dirt tones), plus neroli blends in with opoponax to make a blast of perfume! Citrus top,like a chypre, with a base of super sweet, resinous, heady sweet myrrh. The opoponax, patchouli and fruit merge to form a super note. It reminds me of many of the fruity chypre perfume bases from the nineties, Chanel Mademoiselle, Flowerbomb, etc. I think it is the sweet resin base combined with fruit and patchouli. It's a power hitter, very sweet not vanilla or gourmand, but quite classic "parfum". It lasted all day, sweet and sexy, grand Dame parfum. The citrus like neroli burned off and left the base of cloying resin plus patchouli and fruit. Drydown was well over eight or nine hours! Final thoughts- this is brilliant. I imagine it's Beth's interpretation of the fruity Oriental chypre, big name perfumes popular at the turn of the century. As in Y2K. I for one loved it! I'm not sure it reminds me of insects. But, it is big, powerful, sweet, fruity, patchouli resin following a neroli top note. Since it reminds me so much of a BPAL version of my favorite Elizabeth Arden perfume- Provocative Woman, which I wore frequently before my conversation to BPAL, I'll have to have a bottle.

In vitro- leather, cinnamon. Wet- ouch, I'm getting weals. This disappeared shortly after I applied so I slathered. My skin is red. So this is the cinnamon reaction? Cinnamon and leather mainly. Cardamom lends a spicy edge. Dry- First, cinnamon, leather, soft skin musk, and woody cypress. Cardamon does the spice note thing. It disappears again. Late drydown-My skin is tingling again. Up close, I smell soft leather, like suede, and cinnamon plus cardamom. These are my favorite spice notes. The musk is soft, it isn't the soapy or high pitched white note that I fear. This has very little throw. I really have to put my nose close to find the scent. Analysis- I almost bought a bottle of this without smelling the decant first, as they had me at "Ceylon cinnamon." However, I tested first because leather can be problematic for my skin and white musk can be soapy. I really want to like this but my skin swallowed it. I'll age the imp and retest. The lack of sillage will hopefully improve with age because the notes combine well and the composition is complex, sweet, leathery, and spicy. Cypress combined well with the leather and spices. Genius combination of notes, if only my skin didn't eat it.

In vitro- leather!, spice? Wet- Serious leather, take no prisoners leather. Perhaps I amp it? Lavender and bay leaf contribute spicy and peppery energy. The tobacco wraps around the edges. It is mellow, dried tobacco, not smoky or burnt. Oudh is well blended, as in I don't detect it, unless it's lending a woody base, blended with the tobacco. Dry- Lavender reappears, over a cozy and masculine base of leather and tobacco. Agreed, this is worn, saddle leather, not the sharp black leather of a new jacket. Drydown- Sweet, leather and tobacco with a floral lavender. Woody oudh is finally apparent. Final thoughts- A complex composition with herbal elements, soft and well worn leather, woody oudh and tobacco. This is mostly base notes and wonderfully resinous and masculine. I may need a bottle upgrade, as the Quincey Morris comparison is quite right. This is lovely now, I am excited to imagine it aged!

In vitro- citrus, honey, spicy and sweet Wet - Mainly honey, carnations, and the red clover which is astringent and citrus like. Drying- Like Alice, but more vanilla and an almost lemon flavor. Creamy, floral with carnation forward, backed by vanilla'd honey. This stage is magnificent. The reviewer who noted lemon tarts has it right, with vanilla tea flavored by cream and honey, displayed next to a vase of fragrant carnations. Drydown- my nemesis rose emerges, and this goes to powder. Sweet, rosy, powder, but nevertheless not good. My skin amps rose and unfortunately, the honey and cream can't compete. Of course this phase lasts. Final thoughts- I'm very tempted to buy a bottle but I'd have to use a scent locket. I think I'd rather try layering a lemon scent with Alice in an attempt to replicate the scent. If roses behave on your skin, this is sublime, a creamy, honeyed floral with bright, citrus like clover,that is different from Alice. Sadly, my skin ruins this for me, but that leaves more for the rest of you to love.

In vitro- smoky DBR, vanilla like tonka Wet- DBR is smoky incense, tonka is a sweet, soft counterpoint and there's a hint of woodsmoke. Oak is presumed, from the notes, I don't think I'd have identified it otherwise. Drying - tonka predominantly with DBR adding a smoky incense quality. DBR can go either powdery, as it does here, or sweet, syrup like and floral. The oak note is a lovely wood base, the tonka fuzzy like a baby blanket. The patchouli is present, woody rather than dirty, but subdued. Final thoughts- Fuzzy, incense, cuddly and slightly sweet without being foody or burnt. Not quite my jam, I prefer my incense sweeter or with spice, woodier or earthier. This is too airy and pure, but I'll bet it has it's admirers.

In vitro- sweet honey, light and sunny. Wet- very honey, a hint of wood from the cypress, lemony rose petals Drying - creamy floral, honey supporting, becomes creamy, and this stage is glorious. There is a hint of greenery, herbal beneath, but faint Drydown- my skin chemistry turns the rose powdery. It's a crying shame. This is a mature woman's rose soap. Think oil of Olay. Final thoughts- My skin massacred this, as it does most rose notes. Before the rose went soapy and powdery, this was a beautiful honeyed cream with rose petals. I could try a scent locket but I will probably frimp this away. I have a few rose blends that work and honey ones too. If you have a more benign skin chemistry, perhaps you can enjoy this as the beautiful creamy floral intended. Still, I had to try, knowing rose is my nemesis, I keep hoping that I will find those exceptional blends where it somehow works...

In vitro-herbal, green, medicinal, and honey Wet- heavy on the honey, but the bella donna or mandrake (bitter, astringent, green herb) and rue (bitter, citrus like) are present. No bay rum. It smells like a Rapaccini scent with herb laced honey. It is sweet, mild citrus, green and herbal Drydown- Sweet honey and myrrh base. Waxy honey, musty hemp, a hint of resin. Final analysis- Very nice honey dominant scent with green herbs accenting. Just right balance between botanical, sweet, resinous and astringent. I'd like more of this, I'll have to match it against the Apiary scents from Rapaccini, especially Hemlock Honey but I think this wins due to added complexity with the mixed herbs, hemp and wax notes. Witchy kitchens smell divine!

In vitro- musk, pepper Wet- lofty white florals, zingy musk, the combined effect smells like classic cologne on a sexy, sophisticated man. The contrast of the pepper and sandalwood is almost buzzing, like t.v. static Drying- black pepper, effervescent musk, florals. The floral notes are clearly white, I'm guessing Narcissus primarily as lily usually smells different, but it's presence may be lending a creamy aspect to the composition, or is that the sandalwood? Drydown- this reads masculine to me. Peppery, musky, aloof. I would have guessed ambergris but it isn't in the listed notes. Not quite an aquatic but "perfumey" Final analysis- this reminds me of a classic man's perfume, not quite aquatic but astringent, cool, edgy and airy. Musk tends to amp on me, so this may skew my review. This musk reads more black to me than white. I imagine that this would be sublime on a man. It's too high brow for my usual wearing but I'll keep the imp. This is one of those compositions you can use when you want to introduce BPAL to other people who like mainstream perfume. Or if you want to smell like you're wearing designer perfume from a fancy Parfum house. I'll be treasuring my imp, however I have to be in a certain mood to wear this.

This is just lovely. In the vial, orange and tea. Wet, neroli mainly, which is tempered by the musk and tea so it is not sharp or cologney. Orange blossom tea, a hint of musk, a hint of floral, which is by process of elimination, tobacco flower. It is hard to pick out,as I'm less familiar with the smell and it is well blended with the tea and neroli. The general impression is delicate, soft, and barely sweet. Dry, the Neroli fades and the blonde leather comes forward. Leather and musk combine to form a heart that is warm and soft, like a very worn suede glove. The tea and neroli are still present, soaking into the white suede glove. The throw is slight, very close to the skin. White musk is soft here, as I like it, supporting and snuggling rather than soapy. Final analysis, this is subtle and sweet. I'm one of the lucky people on whom neroli is sweet and smells faintly of oranges. And I love tea, it is usually sweet on me and brings a liquid, feminine softness to the mix. This is really more of a Luper than a Weenie but I like it. The orange blossom tea juxtaposed with the white suede and accented by the tobacco flower is charming and unexpected. I'm contemplating a bottle purchase.

In the vial, smoky vetiver dominant over a bone dry sandalwood. Wet, vetiver amps, smoky and sinister over a dry base of sandalwood and sweet myrrh. This is dry and wispy rather than sweet. Early drydown, finally the plum emerges. It is a dessicated, dry black plum, a prune? Sandalwood has become more woody and less skeletal. Myrrh marries with sandalwood and vetiver and this is plummy incense burned hours ago, warm and woody. No burned character or powdery quality. Late drydown: Sweet myrrh and sandalwood. Woody, warm, sweet. Final analysis: Carcass indeed! A masterful creation, evocative of the painting in it's bone dry quality. The drydown is much more wearable art. Unfortunately, my skin ate the prune, I mean plum note, which was intended I surmise to add needed sweetness to counterbalance the dry woodiness of the resin notes. I'll retest of course, as I love the sandalwood enhanced by vetiver and opoponax.

In the vial, smells complex, gourmand rather than foody. Red musk is obtrusively present. Wet, the cocoa covers the red musk, amber vanilla and clove base like a warm, fuzzy blanket. This phase is glorious. Unfortunately, as all things of beauty, it is not stable enough to last. Drying, the leather aggressively asserts itself. The red musk, being the power hitter it is, amps equally. Red musk and black leather circle around the ring, entangling, then separating, sparring for dominance. The clove, vanilla infused amber, tobacco, soft patchouli and red musk merge to create a complex base that is slightly sweet, warm, musky-sexy, and resinous. The cocoa is MIA. Despite the powerful notes, there is not much throw. Late drydown, less sweet, more leather, clove, and red musk. This is somewhat smoky. This smells like a new leather jacket wrapped around a sexy vampire, who fed a few hours ago. Sexy and menacing. Next day, I can still smell the amber and red musk. What was lacking in throw is more than compensated by longevity. Final analysis: I wish that I had Sunshine Daisy Bliss's note removal machine to extract the leather. I like my leather well worn out, not new. This leather note took the scent to a masculine level that clashed with the warm, gourmand, clove currant, tobacco vanilla feminine base. I'm very tempted to purchase a bottle to age it. It evokes the inspirational art magnificently. Clove is one of my favorite notes and it is glorified here with the pairing with red currant on a resiny base of vanilla/amber, tobacco, patchouli and red musk. I'm thinking age will soften the brusque leather and hopefully allow a truce with the red musk. The notes list reads like a Who's Who of my favorite things. My hesitation comes from having a BPAL box overrun with sexy, red musk scents and this being not quite right for my skin chemistry due to the rebellious leather note. Should be easy to rehome if the leather doesn't mellow out, right?

First note, in the vial and wet on skin is loam, as in freshly overturned dirt. Drying I smell damp vegetation, which I am guessing is carrot seed oil from a previous experience. There is still that loam note. It is a very realist dirt smell. Early drydown the dirt note begins to fade and there is a metallic note, like the metallic taste of blood or wet clay. This does evoke red clay, if you have ever smelled it. Late drydown there is a lovely skin close musk. It isn't like the musk that is identified as red, green, brown, white, or blue. I'm guessing this is a blood musk. It is warm and comforting. Overall this is very natural, with dirt, vegetation, a hint of blood or clay, then soft musk. I'd swear there is a bit of ambergris too, it was salty at times. I'm considering a bottle because it is so unique and I'm a musk girl. I don't see this being wildly popular though.

For what it's worth, I don't get wine from the Perversion atmo. I do get a metric ton of leather! Maybe combine a foody atmo such as On Halloween with Saloon #10?

Movie Night, one of the current Lilith scents, is mostly butter on me. I get strawberry licorice candy at first, but then it is all buttered popcorn, emphasis on butter. The corn part isn't really there on my skin. Or, if you can track down Shill, it is all buttery popcorn but it is hard to find. HTH

If you are a cake lover, jump on this now! Rum laced cupcakes! Coconut rum laced cupcakes with emphasis on CAKE. A hint of caramel too. This complements other sweet fragrance oils very well or works as a stand alone. The rum isn't too boozey. No one will think you've been imbibing at work. The throw is medium, but I hope aging may impact that for the better.