hipslike___cinderella

Grey-brown flue gasses belch from colossal steel and concrete monoliths, forming bloated clouds in the dusk-dark sky. Creosote, coal, and industrial waste. I love the scary dirtiness of unpopular Samhainophobia and my favorite Tiki is the stifling, smoky Moai. Shoulda known I'd be the first to review this one. Looking at the greyish, smoky gold oil through the vial, I said to myself "vetiver" before even opening it. Uh huh. Smokestack is surely a version of vetiver to my nose initially; but as NON-earthy as vetiver can get. It' truly smells like coal. On my skin: oh... huh! This isn't dirty or unbearable at all. In fact... it's unsettlingly clean to me. A meld of vetiver and metallic tang... really? Weird. And bravo! What a strangely good combination. Breath in deep and you almost get a charcoal cough in the back of your throat. This is not really a morpher at all, however, 10 minutes later and on there's this very faint rooty, almost cola syrup waft coming up underneath. And there it is: industrial waste in the form of dark smoke notes and metal. Akin to the volcanic ash in Moai, I predict this will be another highly evocative blend cherished for its effect, but perhaps a bit tough to wear.

Seaweed, honey, white mint, and ambergris. First I have to say, this is the one Novel Ideas blend that I had to order right away, pre-sniff. So, so very excited. I adore aquatics, mint is good in anything, ambergris is not used often enough and I have a personal affinity for seaweed. How's that for expectations? So I let out a huge "aaaaaah!" when I opened the cap to discover a deep, deep blue wash of dirty sea love. This is full-bodied, and dark. The honey comes out once it's on my skin; now, I definitely am not thrilled about honey, so I hold my breath and pray that it doesn't go mucking up this good thing. And it doesn't. In fact, it makes this a sexual blend. Maybe not necessarily sexy, but sexual. Like the act itself. It's barely musty, and actually, kind of like a masculine companion to an aquatic like Thalassa. I know that "aquatic note" is not actually listed, and I think that's a good thing. The ambergris/seaweed combo is enough to paint the picture, so to say. If I had to say one tiny negative thing about this, just one, it's be: where's the mint? Beautiful, evocative, spot-on. Plus this stuff lasts and is unwavering. I think I'm in love. ETA: After a few more days consideration, to see if the honeymoon fades, and a full day spent wearing this... I love it more. Love. Love. LOVE IT. I can't get enough of this. This might be surpassing Snow Flakes as my favorite limited edition, ever. It is the perfect aquatic.

The Day of the Fathers. A festival of remembrance, honoring family that has passed into the next life. Cypress, rose, violet, frankincense, ambrette, marjoram, and Lebanese cedar. First review, you say? When first opened, Parentalia seems predominately herbal. Not in a medicinal sense, but as an outdoorsy mishmash of cypress and flowers. Cypess/violet/cedar aside, the rose and frankincense is evident, too- frankincense lending a dreamy smoothness to everything.is a bit quickly on my skin. The cypress and cedar recede, and the florals come forth more. The best part happens after 15 minutes, when the beloved violet creeps up more. It casts a powderiness, but doesn't ruin the blend. After an hour I'm left with a pretty smear of violet. That's what this blend is, pretty, and most definitely a blend for the encroaching spring.

Pickled Imp is one instance where I'm sure I won't like the blend, but I give it a go anyways, and my suspicions were confirmed. Even at that, when I sniffed it I thought, "Ah! I might like this after all!". Adding pine sap to what could be a boring vanilla/cinnamon/clove blend is an excellent idea. It adds interest upon first whiff and cuts it down from being too super-creamy foody spicy. Alas, once on my skin, it's WOW-POW vanilla-cinnamon. Stereotypes be damned, I smell like winter spice potpourri. This does not morph past that, and it's strong. I was hoping for more crisp pine! I really do hate the thought of breaking my set, but I always knew Pickled Imp was the, ahem, "red-headed stepchild" of my Wunderkammer collection. No doubt I'll find it a happy new home!

Oh, Wunderkammer... such surprises you hold! I was quite looking forward to Faeu Boulnger, and while it was nothing like I expected (I totally did not let myself read any reviews) it still it's own brand of lovely. I was hoping for a murky, nearly rotting etheral mist with wet violets, but this is crisp and uplifting. The word "vegetative" keeps springing to mind. In fact, this smells like it could be a green Rappaccini's Garden blend. A touch of odd sweetness, thanks to the green mint. It goes through a phase on my skin, 10 minutes or so into wearing, that it's almost too much for me; too biting, or too fresh, or too sweet... something. I preserved on and it turns out this is better after quite some time (it's mildly strong, so it sticks). I don't particularly smell violets until the final fade-out. This reminds me of so many things, yet it's still unique... the mint and violets provide a similar bite-and-sweet like Moon of Ice, it's seasonal like Beltane, and nearly cucumber-y or melon-y like... well, I can't think of anything specifically. Finally, as some have said before me, this is really an ideal refreshing summer scent, and quite different from all the other dark Wunderkammer blends.

As a forewarning, I have a funny relationship with super-popular BPAL blends: being that I usually don't like them at all. I tried not to let this get to me, as I was determined to give Illustrated Woman a shot anyways. Well, oh. My god. Just smelling the vial, I knew everyone's praise must be true. This is OUTSTANDING. Thick, musky patchouli, vanilla, tobacco and honey, and resins with a but fat captial R; all cut across with crisp pine pitch. I've tried some BPAL pines here and there, and I don't know the actual difference between pine and pine pitch, but this is glorious. Not medicinal at all or even particularly "foresty". It took me quite some time to have the courage to test it, as it was so good in the bottle I didn't want an epic skin chemistry failure to depress me. Imagine my disappointment when upon trying this I got walloped in the head with vanilla. Eeek! The pine pitch vanished into the ether and the balls to this blend shriveled up entirely. leaving me with a timid honeyed vanilla. Sheesh. If for nothing but a clinging memoryof how great it was 10 minutes before, I hang out and see where this blend goes. So later... I now see what all the fuss is about. It's the tobacco! Hi, tobacco. The scent gains body again and while the pine pitch never returns, the patchouli swells a bit and the vanilla has chilled out. So; this is a morpher, a skin scent, sexy and should be agreeable for many types of people. A wee bit lighter than I hoped, and I wish I could be one of those who amped the pine pitch. Regardless, this is a masterpiece and sure to go down in BPAL history. Miss Shelldoo is a lucky lady!

Aah! Parthenope is so beautiful, better than I even expected, and a godsend for all jasmine lovers. It flourishes on me, which is relieving because of all jasmine, star jasmine can sometimes go sour and cause me headaches. The moss, oakmoss, and orris all meld to create a "feel", instead of separate notes. I don't find this as woodsy or aquatic, just a smooth, musky, slippery floral. Before BPAL I always swooned over honeysuckle and I've been searching for the perfect jasmine/honeysuckle blend, and this is perfect... just what I was looking for. I need a bottle. Strong throw, medium-strong wear. You must be smitten with jasmine to do this one.

I feel so sad reading reviews of Cytherea, as I was sure this would be one of the biggest winners of the Grindhouse. However, the underlying problem is that this is one of THE LIGHTEST BPAL's I have ever tested. I couldn't place barely any discernible scent in the imp, but enough to describe it as a pale sandalwood. On my skin, Cytherea hits its peak at 10 minutes, where the kush, champaca, and patchouli is most prominent. Then it vapors away. The extent of the wear is mostly white amber and vanilla... too much amber and vanilla for me and not enough woods. Ack! So disappointing. I've sniffed it 1,000 times, on different days, just in case my sinuses were blocked or anything else. No dice. I have one full decant but also a 1/4 decant coming to me; I think I'm putting the full one for swap and saving the bitty one as a clinging hope that aging might give Cytherea more depth.

I am so glad Bezoar is getting the praise it deserves! I sniffed every single Wunderkammer upon arrival, and in the bottle, this is the second-most exciting one (only second to Hand of Glory). Such a peculiar, inquisitive scent, and as alicia_stardust put it: "There is just something about this blend that is both creepy and yet comforting." Perfect. In the bottle, this does truly smell ANCIENT. Arcane balsams, unpolished wooden surfaces and dried hay. It appears "fresher" in the bottle, because on my skin, WHOAH this is DRY. As someone else noted before, this is the hay I sorely wanted in Scarecrow. The cardamom that popped in the bottle is a tad bit smoother on skin, but still giving this a slightly unsettling feel. This is not strictly a cozy wooden scent. In fact, I wore it all night without a glance at the notes, and to me this is much more of a spicy resin-and-hay blend than a "woodsy" blend. That's about as far as I can go. This is truly unique, like no other BPAL, and a masterpiece. I'm thinking one mere bottle might not be enough for me.

Mmmm. Mmmm mmmm-mm-mmm. Clemence. I knew I'd love it before my decant arrived, the very first whiff scent me spiraling into squees, and wearing it all day long has been a true pleasure. I still have not tried the Salon Spider blend (why? I don't know), but this IS THE ULTIMATE patchouli-clove blend. What I've always hoped for. On top of that, you are treated to a warm cup of spiced black tea in the process, and handed a bouquet of carnations as well. This is deep, woody, sensual, spicy, I think even unisex. It's strong and enveloping. It makes me feel powerful and beautiful. One of those few BPALs that had me talking about my own scent all day to my co-workers, shoving my arms under people's noses, and discreetly whiffing my own pulse points from time to time. Yes. I will be needing many multiple bottles of this gorgeousity. In fact, this is the first Grindhouse gal I've tried, and quite frankly it's going to be damn hard to top Clemence. As a side note, after my evening shower it struck me right away that this is pretty similar to Villainess's "Embargo", for reference.

First of all, it must be said that Screaming Mandragora earns the Cutest Imp award. Second of all, I feel honored because not only is the ENTIRE Wunderkammer set a total win, but so is this little prize! And thirdly, all previous posters did a perfect job describing this. I think I wanted to giggle the first time I sniffed this because it really made me instantly think "evil pencil shavings". It's so much like the Rappaccini's Garden mandrake bend, but with a tartness. Before testing this, it reminded me of the sinister grapefruit note in R'lyeh. Tested, I threw away the grapefruit idea and couldn't get away from thinking "apple". Someone mentioned that this was undeniably red fruit, and I agree. It's very familiar too, and with my nose stuck to my wrist I think, "does this have patchouli or cedar?" but I just don't know. It's really the lab's Mandrake with high-pitched fruit, which mellows onto your skin as a woodsy, earthy mandrake and ground fruit. It's bizarre and lovely... I might end up stalking the forum to see if I can collect some more of these screamers!

Deciding to buy a 13 blend is a gamble for me. Cocoa/chocolate as a note is great 50% of the time, and awful the other half of the time. My only other 13, the April '07 version, ended up being wonderful due to the catnip and clove notes. Having said this, I first excitedly sniffed 13 without any notes in front of me, and my initial reaction was an unfortunate, "HRRRGHL! Spicy buttered nutty chocolate!". Not good, but not discouraging either, as I felt this would be a test-it-to-believe-it blend. So, on my skin, I was taken back to being a kid and taking trips to the Red Barn Farm in Weston, MO... chocolates and candies in the sweets shop, cookery spices covering the shelves, tea and honey ready to go, and the faint scent of apples wafting outside. Sounds lovely, yes? It is, but woe is me, not what I want my perfume to smell like. I was hoping this to be flowery chocolate with resins and sandalwood, a touch of spice. This, on me, is a chocolate canvas, lots of nutmeg and allspice, tonka, and apple. Actually, apple blossom, as it's not fair to simplify it to straight "apple", because it's not. But the frankincense and sandalwood is not there for me, neither is the honeysuckle. My verdict: foody. Sad! Off to swaps.

I'm going to have to concur with everyone about the sweetness in The Grindhouse. Red musk is most definately the star, with florals playing underneath. I tested this without the note list in front of me, and I couldn't really tell you what florals I was smelling in particular. Once I saw "clove", it made sense: there's just barely a hint of some spice underneath. While this is nice, I don't think I'll keep it around. This is a sweet, sexy, but playful red musk for those who don't like the heavy "headshop" red musk. I also urge those who might stay away because of the rose to give this a try; it's not rose-dominated at all. Just sweet, musky and floral. Medium throw, medium wear.

Ever think sometimes you amp your least favorite notes? Poor Torture Queen, this is too much vanilla for me. It's very light in the imp, and very much in the same family as other BPAL "metals" (Mechanical Phoenix, Steamworks). I recognize the vanilla musk from the Salon (I forget, I think it's from Lucretia), and I get a hint of ambergris, and chrome. In fact, this smells sophisticated, like a Salon blend. Once tested, this is smooth and cozy, warm. Foremost amber and vanilla musk; any sharpness the chrome had in the imp has melded seamlessly with the musk/amber. It's pretty. This has light throw, and light wear. It stayed true and the last remnants are a sweet, amber gardenia. Unfortunately, vanilla is not really my thing and this was much more sweet floral musks than that chrome shock I wanted. Swaps!

As some reveiwers here, I am a real lover of BPAL's lilies. Voodoo Lily, Cobra Lily, Hairy Toad Lily... Mmmm! Black Lily is the last of the Rappacinni's Garden lilies for me to try, and I'm disappointed. Given the description, I'm surprised to believe this is a deeper Tiger Lily. Creamy, dark vanilla and amber with just a hiiiiiint of lily. I was hoping for something bold, perhaps smoky, perhaps sharp. This is creamy and mild, and reminds me GREATLY of a department store perfume my mother once had. Aaaw. I much perfer the soapiness of Queen of Hearts or sweet sour of Hairy Toad Lily. Can't win 'em all!

Voodoo is a case of giving a scent another chance and loving it the second time around. I tested this on a small patch of my hand sometime last fall and didn't like it because the initial pine/almond smack in the beginning turned me off. I gave it away. Well, I was frimped with it today, and decided to throw caution to the wind and slather it on my pulse points before going out for a few hours tonight. Within 20 minutes I was huffing my arm and I told my boyfriend, "I smell frightening, like a dark Occult shop... and I LIKE it". The almond had evaporated and I was left with (what I THOUGHT, because I didn't have the notes at my disposal) a black-musk type of powder resin scent, with patchouli looming (I realized later it was the myrrh). For a long time it withstood as a beautiful dark scent, and the last traces, a few hours later, was distinctly vetiver and patchouli. In fact, that vetiver/patchouli combo that is described as "B.O.". But you know, I like it. I would have never guessed there was lime and vanilla in here; I guess it was only nuanced on my skin. I might need a bottle of this. So glad I tried it again!

I've witnessed some "cologne-y" BPAL's here and there... but THIS... this takes the CROWN. That being said, it is the pitch-perfect epitome of gentlemanly scent. It's drool-worthy. And hard to explain, too- the African balsam reminds me of African woods in Oblivion (the oil is the same bizarre greenish color, even), but with a jolt of metallic note. I'm not sure how the tobacco flower lends to this blend, as I don't detect any stereotypical tobacco. Just delicous, manly musk, balsam, and "cologne". Over my 16 months of BPAL wonder, my SO has purchased two blends for himself: Tezcatlipoca and Dracul, and I gave him all my Luperci when I realized how much better it is on him. ...I am BEGGING him to buy himself some Galvanic Goggles. STAT.

The Reaper and the Flowers makes me so happy. There are some wily floral notes that end up bad on many people, but work so well on me. There's something about the combination of lily, white rose, and chrysanthemum that cries "summer!" to me. Someone compared this to a florist shop, and I'd have to agree. It's a true, strong floral blend that has just the tiniest, tiniest hint of grass that sort of reminds me of The Caterpillar, minus incense. I want a 5ml of this.

Robotic Scarab is one of those scents that surprises me each time I look at the notes. Altogether, this is something traditional and cozy. I feel like I've smelled this before. The "lubricating oils" remind me of the lab's "traditional lunar oils", in Moon of Ice, for example. I feel similarities to Mechanical Phoenix, but it's more feminine- this isn't a "cologne" type scent. I credit the frankincense the most here; it's the strongest note, and I think it's what makes this cozy to me. I get zero star anise, and I don't think I detect leather either (there- I was like, "huh?" when I reread that there was leather in this blend). Nice, and I think I'm keeping my imp, but no bottle.

Phoenix Steamworks is quite the interesting one and gets an A+ for uniqueness. This is really good in the bottle. Like, OMG-kind of good. An arcane incense with sage that tickles my nostrils and metallic tang, sharp like a new copper penny. I have high hopes already. On my skin: ...WOW. Medicinal. Like an entire medicine cabinet summed up in one note. Specifically, muscle rub or itch cream or something. This sounds awful but it's not all that bad. I let this baby dry down a bit. The medicinal aspect does fade and I'm left with a warm, spicy incense blend. The metallic tang is now a haze, but it's there, and it makes this blend a little unsettling, like a smooth operating machine that rattles and gives you a jolt every few minutes. Not entirely sure I'd wear it much, but I'm keeping my imp because it's such an unique blend.

Mmm, this is promising in the bottle. Yummy mint and eucalyptus with a hint of flowers ready to burst. Now, on my skin, I'm surprised, and a little relieved, that there's no screaming lotus here. This is a lower-level chill scent on me and I don't feel the cooling sensation that some blends give on touch. Unfortunately, this one seems to evaporate. At first it's a nearly herbal floral feel, but apparently passionflower and orchid don't stick to me. Not quite the punch I was hoping for; swapping.

I had a hard time reviewing this, as I have difficulty picking out nuances in very light oil scents. Needless to say, this is a light, transluscent blend. Bright, light, almost sunny, and clean. It's a bit boring until the drydown, where it becomes a sweet scent that is incredibly familiar to me. It's youthful feeling, and I think I can understand what the first reviewing was saying. This smells like little-girl perfume I had when I was like eleven. Nice, but not me at all; swapping.

Bruised Violet Compound is something else. I can't believe how good this is. It isn't even one note in particular. It's as if the whole perfume struck a pitch-perfect chord in me. Putting this on my skin I immediately feel sexual, forward, and bold. It's also one of those strangely familiar oils to me. It instantly reminded me of different blends but I kept changing my mind. Frederic, yet warm and red? No... The Clod and the Pebble, without cedar? Not quite. After a few long minutes I realize it's Madini Oil's "Chipre" scent that I'm trying to pinpoint. This blend is unmistakably woodsy. The violet is only a supporting note, and at least on myself, it's not that obvious. The red currant provides a sexual, throbbing pulse. Patchouli root is by far the main note here. Completely stunning. I love sophisticated patchouli blends, and I'm not exactly sure of the scent difference between standard "patchouli" (assuming the leaf) and "patchouli root", but if this is anything to set by example, I need more!

Aside from the fact that I wanted to try nearly every Steamworks scent, I picked Violet Ray because I have a violet fascination, even though I am so picky about it as a note. Reading "white mint" and "violet" together really caught my eye because Ultraviolet is one of my top favorite blends, ever of ever. Before touching my skin, Violet Ray seems innocent enough; medium-sweet, the violet note reminding me vaguely of Sybaris. Then... maybe it's because I'm spoiled with the system-shocking ice beauty that is Ultraviolet, but I don't find this to be cold, chilly, even coolish. I would've never guessed in a million years that it has mint. In fact, I'll tell you what I get: Violet, a breath of lilac, and YLANG YLANG. Hello, 'ylang, you brute. I should've known better. Ylang ylang is my fate-given floral death note. I have very cooperative skin, but ylang ylang destroys any blend it comes near. Thus, to me, Violet Ray is a dusty, somewhat strong floral blend, and it's oddly fuzzy and maroon in color to my mind. Not at all what I wanted, but what I feared it would be. The first time around it didn't seem too bad. Now that I've touched up my application after several hours, it's kind of making me ill. No good. So if ylang ylang runs rampant on you too, but you still want to try this blend, heed my warning.

Unfortunately, I'm not actually aware of what orchid smells like itself, but I can say this blend is beautiful. It's different than other floral notes I know; clean yet not soapy, some sharp sexiness lurking underneath. I wish I could do a better job of describing this, but I at least just wanted come hear to say this is wonderful!