LexieBlom

The title Tavern of Hell is a bit misleading, honestly. When you hear it, I think of that last last sip of shitty whiskey, that you know you should have taken in one swig but chickened out. Sipping it slowly gives you the shivers as it burns your throat. I think of the fires of hell, nipping at your skin as they flicker off the ground, sure it’s annoying but you’ve gotten used to it over time. I think of a tavern so smokey, you can’t see your own hand in front of you, but that’s probably for the best since you don’t really want to see who or what are sitting around you anyway. I think of a 50/50 breed between a Tom Waits song and an incense shop owned by Lucifer himself. This isn’t really Tavern of Hell to me. It’s more like Tavern of suburban southern California, which is almost hell but not quite there yet. It’s warm, with some spice to it, but there’s some sticky sweet underlying scents that give off the impression of “soccer mom out on the town for the first time in 7 years, after a rough divorce” kind of hell. It’s really not a bad fragrance, it just doesn’t really hold up to it’s title.

Black Lace bottle Wet/Bottle - Incense, tobacco, vanilla and cognac. It's soft, powdery, delicate - everything you'd expect from the name. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Vanilla and cognac, mostly now. It's so soft and whispy, almost not there yet still so defined. It really is just like lace on your skin. Dry/Skin (30 minutes+) - The same vanilla and cognac as before. This blend lasts surprisingly long, given how soft it is. I bought this bottle because I've loved every Lace collection member I've tried thus far, and this is no different. I am SO glad I got this.

Organized in alphabetical order, and identified with a ✔️ if I liked it enough to keep, or a ❌ if it was a "no." ✔️A Countenance Forboding Evil ✔️Al-Azif ✔️Azathoth ❌Alice's Evidence ❌Aremata-Popoa ✔️Banshee Beat ✔️Blood ❌Blood Kiss ✔️Bocal de Sang ❌Bon Vivant ✔️Bow and Crown of Conquest, The ❌Burial ✔️Crossroads ✔️Crowley ❌Dance of Death ❌Delphi ❌Destroying Angel ❌Dragons Bone ✔️Dragons Hide ✔️Dragons Musk ❌Eat Me ❌Fascinum ❌Faustus ✔️Fenris Wolf ❌Follow Me Boy ❌Godfather Death ❌Golden Wave ❌Gomorrah ❌Gourmand CT #18 ❌Greed ❌Iago ❌Incubus ❌Jabberwocky ❌Jazz Funeral ✔️Jolly Roger ❌Juke Joint ❌Krampuslaufen ❌La Petite Mort ❌Masquerade ✔️Mort de Cesar ❌Music of Erich Zahn, The ❌Nyarlathotep ❌Odin ❌Old Scratch ✔️Omen ❌OPS ✔️Paramatman ❌Phoenix Streamworks ✔️Qandisa ✔️Queen ❌Red Moon 2013 ❌Red Queen, The ✔️Scherezade ❌Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues ✔️Sherlock Holmes ✔️Tavern of Hell ✔️Troll ❌Utrennyaya ❌Vechernyaya ❌Villain ❌Viola ✔️Voodoo ❌Voodoo Lily ❌Wicked ❌Wings of Azrael ✔️Wolfsbane ❌Wretched Rose Window, The ✔️Yggdrasil ✔️Yorick

Jabberwocky imp Wet/Bottle - Eucalyptus, pine and orange, just like the notes read. But, I can smell every distinctive one, and that's not usual for me. This could either go very well or very wrong, because pine often takes over everything. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Uhoh, we're approaching Christmas Tree territory. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Yup, my arm is now a Christmas Tree. I can practically see the ornaments. Apparently I amp pine. That's a new one.

Fog Machine imp Wet/Bottle - Clean yet oozey, kind of like Sprite. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Damn that crisp, wet cleanness. I was kind of expecting a dirty smokiness from the name, but this is the exact opposite. Don't get me wrong, i love me some smoke, but this is just so...refreshing. Yep, I'm gonna need a bottle.

Troll imp Wet/Bottle - Lurching and bitter, indeed! Mostly vetiver and clove, with a tit of pine. I'm not quite sure what Troll Musk is supposed to smell like? Either way, I like it! Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Vetiver is still front and center, followed by pine and clove. There is a spicy muskiness that I really enjoy. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - The very same earthy, dirty, musky goodness as when it was first applied. I love this. LOVE it. I don't know what it is about masculine scents I like so much, but I need more of whatever it is in my life.

Sherlock Holmes imp Wet/Bottle - VERY clean. Light, airy, slightly sweet and a bit bitter from the tobacco. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Still very clean, but not floral or chemical which often happens. This reminds me vaguely of Neutral, with a touch of rosin. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Clean, leathery rosin. I actually like this. I have no other way to describe it that "clean" because I can't pick out any specific notes that make it clean, but the leather and rosin dirty it up enough to make it sexy rather than medicinal.

Queen imp Wet/Bottle - WOWZA that is powerful. Pine? Eucalyptus? Peppery, very herbal and something floral. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - No longer smells of pine, but rather white musk. Still very peppery and heavily herbal. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Powdery, powerful and commanding. White musk, pepper, heavily herbal and lightly floral. I can't pick out any specific other notes, but wow the name is accurate. I would love a bottle of this for when I dress up/go out and need to feel powerful.

Wet/Imp - VERY lily heavy. I suppose it should be, but it's almost a rancid mix. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Lime and rotting flowers. This is another blend I had to wash off of myself, as the Lilies were giving me a headache. Let me start by saying, I was misled by this name. Voodoo is one of my favorite blends BPAL offers, and I was so excited to see another "Voodoo." Alas, this has nothing to do with Voodoo, and while I tried to not let my initial disappointment affect my views on this blend, but either way it just didn't work for me.

Alice's Evidence imp Wet/Bottle - This smells like...Joann Fabrics? Like the first scent that hits you when you walk in, almost like scented pinecones. Dark fall spices, ginger and sugary plum are definitely noticeable. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Very similar to the imp, with more quince...This isn't really foodie to me, and yet if they made a quince that tasted like this smells, I would totally eat it. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Still the exact same as the imp, with a little more hearty quince. I really want to like this, but all I'm getting is Joann Fabrics. I just can't.

Wicked imp Wet/Bottle - I love this. It's feminine, light and slightly floral but the myrrh brings out a darker, lasting note. The notes say "subtle rose" but I don't get any at all, which is good since my skin amps rose to soapy levels. Wet/skin (5 minutes) - SUBTLE ROSE?! I THINK NOT! I actually had to wash this off of my skin, as the rose that was nonexistent is now all there is. Once again, DAMN YOU ROSE!

Faustus imp Wet/Bottle - Frankincense with a whisper of violet. Warm, dark and floral. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - A little spicy with the cinnamon, but still as dark and floral as the imp. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Warm, floral, spicy and just lovely. It's a soft floral rather than sharp, and there isn't any chemical/alcohol smell like I usually get from florals. I think I'll be keeping this imp.

Vechernyaya imp Wet/Bottle - White musk with a touch of patchouli. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Dirty patchouli, and that's about it. Still not much poppy, and the white musk is subtle enough that it's barely noticeable. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - The same dirty Patchouli from the drydown. It's just patchouli on me, which isn't bad but also isn't anything special. I'll probably get rid of the imp, just because I already have so many other patchouli blends I like.

Utrennyaya imp Wet/Bottle - light, floral and airy. Rose and White Sandalwood, mostly. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Rose, rose, and more rose. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Roooooooose DAMN YOU, ROSE!

Viola imp Wet/Bottle - Faintly smells like an indoor pool: warm, stuffy with a touch of chlorine. Then the floral, very rosey. That's about all I get. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - about the same as in the imp, roses and chlorine. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Roses and Chlorine. DAMN YOU, ROSE!

Fascinum imp Wet/Bottle - Amber and saffron, with a touch of pepper which is most likely the litsea cubeba. Very light, golden and airy. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - There's the cedar. Amber and saffron are still present, but the pepper is gone and there's still no sign of golden musk. The problem I have with cedar is it usually turns to Lemon Pledge on my skin, so fingers crossed that doesn't happen. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Lemon...candy? Maybe it's the saffron, but it's taken the Cedar from Lemon Pledge to Lemon Candy scented candle. Damn, cedar ruins another blend.

Qandisa imp Wet/Bottle - Vetiver and thick, sticky honey. sweet, musky, incensey and thiiiiiiick bodied. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Honey, saffron and vetiver. Sweet, smooth, dark and damn girl you thick. Sexy, feminine and powerful. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Honey and saffron, with a touch of vetiver. It's lightened up quite a bit, without losing it's thickness. The name is spot-on, this is exactly how I'd imagine a Moroccan Goddess smelling. However... THIS STAINED MY SKIN YELLOW! I'm super pale, and the super dark, thick viscosity of this oil stained my skin, and the stain wouldn't go away until I scrubbed the oil off entirely. That alone is a huge turn off, and I doubt I'll be getting a bottle which is unfortunate.

Crowley is one of my favorite frimps I've ever gotten

Crossroads imp Wet/Bottle - Herbs, slightly floral but not sharp. Almost...apple? there's no apple note, but that's what I'm getting. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Definitely more floral, but I can't pick any specific notes. A little dirt, but not enough for me. I'd probably layer this. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Dry, sweet and floral but not white/sharp floral which is nice. The dirt is all but gone, but i SWEAR i still smell apple. I tend to like my dirt blends with MORE dirt, but if layered this could be really nice. I'll keep the imp and see.

Incubus imp Wet/Bottle - Sage and caramel, with a whisper of mint. Almost foodie, but not quite there yet. Really sweet, really smooth. This is very...different. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - This is getting foodier and foodier. The caramel and mint are all I can really smell, but that's not a bad thing. The sage is definitely hinting at that celery note other people are describing, though, if I sniff too deeply. Dry/skin (30 minutes) - This disappears almost entirely on me after about 45 minutes. It's alright, but not bottle worthy.

Phoenix Steamworks imp Wet/Bottle - Metallic and sharp. LOTS of sage, but it's fairly airy and light. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - The sage is getting sharper and more chemically, almost soapy. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - This is dollar store soap.

Old Scratch imp, inspired by dfotw Wet/Bottle - Lavender, lavender and more lavender. I was hoping for some more tonka and patchouli. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Lavender with a touch of tonka, quite soft and a bit powdery. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Tonka with a touch of lavender. Very powdery and dry, however. Not terrible, but not really for me.

Jolly Roger imp Wet/Bottle - Very woody, very dry. Cold salty sea air and warm leather. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Still very dry, cold and airy. I love dry wood and salt scents, so this is totally doing it for me. I'm not getting much rum, which is a positive thing for me. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Dirty, salty sex on a boat. This is another 5ml I'm going to need ASAP.

Aremata-Popoa imp Wet/Bottle - RUM PUNCH IN THE FACE. It's so overwhelming, I don't really smell much else, maybe a little blackberry. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - The strong rum and Ouzo make this smell like drying paint primer - slightly noxious. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Pretty sure this is paint primer. No. Just, no.

Golden Wave imp Wet/Bottle - Orange scented shampoo. Wet/Skin (5 minutes) - Orange scented shampoo. Dry/Skin (30 minutes) - Orange scented shampoo. Orange scented shampoo. Very sharp, pungent and fruity; essentially everything I hate in a blend.