JMorgynWhite

Unbound from her prison-throne, mirror aloft; within her cloak dance the stories of Bathsheba, Deborah, and Mary Magdalene. Plum velvet, red wine, and sweet, dark oudh. Caveat - this is fresh out of the mail. first sniff was the red fruit. Wet down had a nod to coffee syrup but as it's drying it morphs into red fruit powdery incense. I have high hopes. Praying it doesn't go full powder. It's light too not intense. Will revisit in a day or two once it settles. 2nd round ( a few hours later) - Gave in and it's already morphed into something more sophisticated. I'm going to have to think of what it reminds me of - the fruit is not forward now - its more of a dept store sophisticate. Can't wait to see what it turns into tomorrow.

First notes are ripe stone fruit and sweet then the powdery amber comes out and I guess the myrrh, there's a back drop of a really light floral and sweetness and that all dries down to this gorgeous musk that almost has a brittle white /light vanilla aspect I can't stop huffing my wrists. There is so much complexity here. I do love red musk but this isn't a classic red musk and has none of the bitterness that I was expecting. Seriously gorgeous and I think very elegant.

The sign of life, the sigil of eternity. The mathematics that form the structure of the universe, the finality of Omega, yet also the inconceivable, endless space beyond. Immortality and rebirth, the perfect aspiration of Spirit. Frankincense and black pepper, Himalayan cedar, cognac, and tobacco. The Leminscate is very woody - hard cold wood chips with black pepper. The wood is harsh. Dry down is pure wood with a light wooden element which maybe the tobacco trying to come out. I don't hate it but I don't love it enough I have a couple of hard wood scents already. Reminds me very much of They Lie Thus Chambered and Cold to the Moon. I dont get the warmth of the tobacco or the cognac I had hoped for, they are elements not the main stage on me.

Without looking at the notes: Nautical has an elegant purple flower element with some powder like violet powder? I don’t normally like violets but it has wisteria or lilac that captures my heart. Okay I looked at the notes. It's lilac and I love lilac and this really does it for me. The dry down brings out this wonderful complex dark stuff in the notes turning it very elegant.

Civil is bright and peachy on me Light and fresh like biting into a sweet nectarine maybe a bit of citrus underlying. The citrus is really close to the skin. The whole flower peach settles into this glorious thing. It's gorgeous and I'm in love.

On me it's brighter and more strawberry raspberry currant than the rich wine I was hoping for. Sweet and light like strawberry candy. Pleasant but I did not get wine out of it. Totally wearable and if you love strawberry candy this is a light wearable version.

The twilight in between the stage performer and the Magus; the sleight of hand trick transforms into true sorcerous skill: black silken musk, dark clove, guiac wood, black pepper, frankincense, and cardamom. Herbal wood-spice and a little soapy. Turns into more soap-with a funky wet wood underlying. Some mineral like wet stone and a little alcohol like sniffing an herbal liquor. It’s the funkiness I don’t like, while I can imagine that might be exactly the perfect scent for someone else. It’s not my thing. I expect the funk comes from the clove/cardamom blend. I like both those spices on their own but obviously not together.

I know it's bad right out of the mail but figured there'd be interest in first impressions. Dark is old house wood dark rich tobacco and mildew with some dirt but powdery a bit boozy- very complex. I love the complexity it seems like even a whisper of leather in the dry down. I don't get any of the vanilla cream but I have to say the dry down is gorgeous in that complexity. Another beautiful lace which I will be reaching for.

I know it's bad right out of the mail but figured there'd be interest in first impressions. Silver Lace is glorious. Stars out skin musky and light green grass vaguely like dandelions and concrete? Wet Reminds me of one of the cemeteries and dry down is maybe is one of the unicorns - like deVos or allegory of chastity with that sheer vanilla. I reapplied when I got home but the stay power was really good. Keep huffing it.

It's way more subtle than I expected from the description. Wet down it has red/patch with a hint of rose. Dry that all goes to a more elegant but slightly soured wine mixed with vanilla and the peony. Not sure I need a whole bottle but I'm tempted because I think this will age well.

Wowza. I'm not sure I love the wet wood of the wet down but the dry has me swooning. The wet down had me worried it was going to be hard wood all through but on my skin the dry is a deep woody musk that has me huffing my wrist.

Wet down on me this is an artisanal grape soda but dry it settles into something more complex. I keep trying to figure it out. I forget about it and then get a whiff and it lifts me spirits. That in itself makes me want more of it. the dry dry down has that whisper of musk and cashmere close to the skin. I'm a wine and red fruit lover so I this needs to be in the rotation.

Wow this one is really a surprise. I am not a big amber lover but the dry down is a powdery musk which is making me want a bottle. The leather is brown and really subtle. Gorgeous.

Flos campi and lilium convallium, Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley: the blossoms of transcendence and spiritual aspiration. First sniff was pollen heavy floral like orange blossom. Wet down I get intense white flower, I am not a lily/lily of the valley fan but I can imagine this is a white flower fan's dream. The flowers are dusky with almost a medicinal base, so not bright. I could see this being a contemplative scent. It dries down powdery white flowers taking on a department store style classic perfume element as it settles. I can't do white flowers but if I could I'd be all over this.

The Ouroboros, the serpent as he consumes his own tail. Within this everlasting cycle, the spirit is reborn into eternity: frankincense, white rose, balsam, almond flower, and benzoin. The Magician’s Belt is the 2nd darkest. Belt is amazing, I may need a bottle. Sweet sugar with flowers and a spritz of citrus lime, really complex. This one is a hit. It has a cologne style to it - but light. Limes and white rose - which makes sense as it's very fresh rose. The benzoin must be the lime/citrus. The rose is like fresh rose petal kind, not the powdery old lady rose. Drydown it morphs to white rose which lingers on and on.

Its's a few days out of the mail now. In the bottle it's a cologne-dark-fruit with a bit of booze. Wet down it has a sort of an expensive perfume powdery element which makes me think of white musk with some ethereal incense and a hint of plum. I am not getting tobacco on its own but knowing it in other laces I can see that its there but I have to look for it. Dry it's faintly plum powder. The effect is super-elegant and sophisticated. To me it's one of the incredibly complex scents that reminds me of department store perfume I would go for. I adore it.

This one reminds me of a graveyard style scent on dry-down. It has all the forest/grass elements with a gorgeous dirt note - which I agree is dry - I want to say baked clay. The wet is almost boozy on me and masculine, but the dry down has the wondrous dirt with the pitch/pine that lingers.

I'm insane about this one. Reminds me of Beneath the Kotatsu- which it doesn't resemble but I think it's because it's def Shunga-like. I'd say peach and pencil shavings on wet then this amazing delicate creamy floral/fruit thing with the cedar on dry which makes it amazing. It's really subtle and ends up close to the skin which is why I think it reminds me of Kotatsu.

I'm trying it tonight and I can't stop sniffing myself. It's a sophisticate. A hit of the bitter orange on my skin but the other notes all integrate and are darn amazing the smoke and the musk marry the tobacco - I generally don't like tobacco but it's a like a suggestion of it. The musk comes out on dry down. The orange is rindy and really works. It's gorgeous but the throw is short. Definitely going to need a wand cap or a lotion layer.

With the Wand createth He. With the Cup preserveth He. With the Dagger destroyeth He. With the Coin redeemeth He. – Liber B vel Magi sub Figura I Clary sage and patchouli for Earth, lavender and yarrow for Air, tobacco and Dracaena cinnabari for Fire, lotus root and myrrh for Water. Magicians Tools is very men's cologne a whiff of tobacco? Does nothing for me. Masculine but not deep/dark. The clary sage is there up front. I don’t get much patch on the wet. I think it’s like the water element softening the impact of the darker elements. Dry down this morphs a bit and the lavender and yarrow come out, but the integration of these elements while magical make it too masculine cologne-y for me. I could see someone else adoring it.

Out of decant I get all of those notes together except for the aftershave - it stands out as faintly lavender lingering. I love oriental style perfume and I wouldn't say it's strongly that, it has a hint of it and the oak and bay rum. Wed down it has a slightly sour -not sure how its going to end up element. As it dries it morphs on me and the woods come up through the cologne. What is utterly entrancing me is what's left behind on the dry down. It's that sheer vanilla powder I hold so dear and I can't stop huffing my arm.

The Carnival King, the embodiment of the liminal space that exists between the death and resurrection of Christ: pomegranate and Lebanese cedar, the martyr’s red rose, and an aspergillum of wine-soaked hyssop. Wowza. I’m a pom-lover and I’m going to need a bottle of this one. It is my fav of the Magician series. On my first try it reminded me of roasted lamb with pomegranate seeds - slightly stinky warm sticky pomegranate. On the 2nd more settled round the pom is brighter but with that meaty-herbal thing. Yeah i could roll in this one, it's a keeper def. Dry down, its got that green herb thing, maybe its the cedar+pom = lamb. The wine soaked hyssop must be the green herb. Love it.

Lemon Lime soda and tart-sweet I can see the raspberry - very bright and sweet like bright jam. Dry Down - It's pretty - very summery berry = light and sweet. It has a tendency towards soapy on me. I think it’s too light for me, although I can imagine it would fantastic for the summer.

Storyteller is woah - a unique Bpal for me. I’ve never smelled one like it. To me it smells Like lemon spritzed broiled lobster campfire.It’s got this smoked-bonfire-meat thing and I want to roll in it. It has a spritz of lemon so like a bbq dinner heavy on smoke then you spritzed lemon on it - smokey lemon but maybe even with a hint of vanilla or even BBQ'd lemons with some spice like dry rub. Maybe I’m just hungry. After looking at the description. It’s hearth wood and bonfire smoke predominant on me. The beeswax/leather might be what I'm getting 'food' out of I will need a bottle of this just for its uniqueness. Final dry: A lingering trail of woodsmoke which makes it a winner for me.

I get the musks on the wet down and they are strong. Robe is the darkest oil of the lot which made me reach for it first. The first sniffs are sweet and heady - makes me kinda of want to run away. I would say amber musk with some incense and smoke. A lot of incense - Incense is predominant. I don't get any of the nuances of the oudh or saffron. Dry down: Robe is now all stale incense similar to cathedral and Midnight Mass. There's a trail of saffron and the dryness from maybe the frankincense. The incense is the star here on my skin.