InaraRedCloak

Tested January 26, 2021 Opening the bottle a get a strong hit of the lab's dead leaves note, followed by some vetiver smokiness. On the skin it morphed almost immediately. I got the dead leaves note, then dead leaves and vetiver, next oud, then barbecue vetiver, followed by dead leaves and vetiver. It was an amazing experience just to go through all these morphed phases in less than an hour! After two hours, I got a small "dryer sheet" smell from the dead leaves. This all dried away and left me with burnt, or burning leaves. This one morphed on my skin so many times I'm really curious what it will be like when it has more time to settle and develop. Right now, it's not the type of scent I would wear all the time, but it is an excellent scent for darker and mysterious moods. It is definitely one for the dead leaves fans out there.

Tested January 25, 2021 It's been about 5 or 6 days since I've gotten my order. The oils have settled down a bit. Right as I opened the bottle, I got a soft musk mixed with a light honeysuckle. There was a light floral sweetness to the scent. Once on my skin, I got a sharp rose scent. It is a really bright scent (as in, you feel the scent in the front of your face, not deeper in) I didn't get any of the musk, vetiver, or oudh. Later in the day, I got a strong honeysuckle with rose blend. It was very strong and very floral. I never got the vetiver, or the oudh. I will try again, but right now, this blend is coming out heavy on the honeysuckle.

June 4, 2020 At first sniff I definitely get the darkness idea. A slight silky shadow-like scent that's so subtle I almost think there's nothing in the bottle. On my skin I get a beautiful and smooth tobacco. There's a subtle touch of vetiver and moss. This has aged beautifully. I can tell that the hemp, myrrh and opoponax have melted together into one harmonious scent. My nose doesn't recognize the sage at all. After about 30 mins the myrrh, opoponax, and tobacco are the primary notes. I'm not getting any hemp or oakmoss anymore. I'm starting to get a bit of that sage, but not a lot. This is still a myrrh/tobacco dominate scent.

Wow, this rose is a powerful one! I'm getting the bold and heavy rose that I find in Peacock Queen mixed with a deep sandalwood. I don't get a lot of vanilla, but I can but I can tell it's there making the blend more rich and smoothing out the acrid notes that can come from a rose this powerful. I get a bit of the bourbon from the bourbon sandalwood but it is blended in so well that it doesn't stand alone as it's own note. Oddly enough, this one didn't go powdery on me. If you like a powerful rose that sticks around, I would suggest this one for you. The sandalwood is a rich note and the vanilla bean smooths out the blend without making it too sweet.

This rose blend is very bright and cheery. A very fruity cherry scent. This is a bright and tart cherry; a fresh spring time sort of cherry scent. The rose is a "high" note. It is bright and clear. Some roses give off that heady scent but not this one. This is the same sort of rose found in Persephone, Rose Red, and Blood Rose. If you like the fruity rose from Persephone, you should try this one.

I was a little weary about the apple in this blend. (since my school bus mate drowned herself in B&B Country Apple back in the 90's I can't stand the scent) I was pleasantly surprised. The apple pulp and poppies take a distant back seat to the wisteria and orchid in this blend. Sadly, I'm not getting much incense from my decant. I would have loved BPAL's incense (like the one in 7SW Lust) with a wisteria scent, but I'm mostly getting a smooth, creamy wisteria musk. Don't be mistaken, I love this scent! Wisteria is usually a sweet and sometimes cloying scent. For me, this blend makes wisteria a softer floral. It's blended, smooth, creamy and close to the skin. I'm not getting a lot of poppy from my decant which suggests that it isn't a major player in this blend. I recommend this blend to lovers of orchid and wisteria and to those that feel that wisteria is a bit too sweet.

I loved this scent. Black Oudh/Oud works really well with my skin chemistry. I get a nice, woody incense vibe from the black oudh and the black cherry isn't as sweet as I expected. I ended up with a rich and deep scent with a small amount of throw. This scent dried down nicely to a cherry incense that brought to mind the burgundy colors and dark decore' of a goth shop. This cherry isn't overly sweet or candied. It is a great black cherry scent. It reminds me of the cherry in "Nimue the Blood Queen". Lovers of dark, rich and gothy scents should give this one a try. I'm probably going to get a bottle of this one.

Holy Dirty Patchouli Batman! I agree with the above posters: this reminds me of the patchouli in Revenant Rhythm and Silky Bat. If that dirty, bold, goth patchouli is your vibe, you're going to love this one. The Cacoa is like a dark chocolate flaked into the patchouli. This is so bold. (personally for me, I'm not a fan of the dirty patchouli scents and this blend is giving me a bit of a headache) The first thought I had was rolling around in a dusty, dirty and dry leaf pile. If you want the smell of dead dry leaves but BPAL's Dead Leaves is too aquatic or "dryer sheet" for you I would suggest this blend. Perfect for the goth folks out there and some of the Tree Hugger-sort of hippies 💀💓🦇 🧘‍♀️(why isn't there an Earth lover emoji?!)

Wow! I am so pleasantly surprised with this one. I'm not sure what I was expecting. This cherry chypre in here is a tiny bit tart. The patchouli is that incense sort of scent that isn't too "green" or "dirty". After a few hours, I get that smoky hint from the patchouli. The scent is a bit overpowering at first, but settles down nicely. I would recommend this one if you liked Pomegranate Smoke from the Halloween collection.

I actually got an herbal vibe from this scent. It's not gourmand on me at all. Instead, I'm getting an Earth Mother, herbalist sort of scent. This scent isn't sweet on me at all, and the moss isn't a fresh green scent. This is dark, unisex and fairly close to the skin.

Oh so fruity! The blackberry in this scent is bold and juicy. I didn't get a bit of powder from this scent, it is all juicy berry. The oakmoss doesn't do a whole lot to bring down the sweetness of the scent. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the super sweet scents, but if you like them, this is right up your alley. Lovers of blackberry will love this scent! This one reminds me of Les Incubus des et Succubus from a previous year's Lupercalia. If you thought the Les Incubus was a bit too dirty with the patchouli, this is a great scent for you. Very fresh, juicy berry scent. I can't stress enough how juicy this scent was.

Right away I got the deep vanilla and sandalwood. It was a deep incense scent without being powdery. After a few minutes, I started to notice the rose. I don't think the labdanum was very strong in this blend (so if your a big fan, you might only notice a whisper of it). Personally for me, this scent reminded me a lot of Raksasha. The rose in this blend isn't very sharp but rather velvety. If your a fan of Raksasha, you might like this blend. This is a smooth rose blend.

At first I got a dusty, almost powdery rose which has settled into a woody scent. This is that beautiful rich rose of Peacock Queen. My skin chemistry has absorbed almost all of the other notes leaving a slightly woody rose behind. I believe it's a light throw, but I've seen that it has grown for others over time. Right now, it's not a type of rose I'll keep in my collection, but it was amazing to try.

At first sniff I got a light floral that is more reminiscent of Spring rather than Winter. I didn't get any of the oudh. When I applied, I could smell a high note of rose - fresh, clear and bright. This isn't like the Black Rose notes I was expecting, this is more of a clean, red rose scent. It almost smells like there is a lily in here, or some other kind of white flower. This is gentler than I expected. After wearing for a few moments, I'm now getting the wispy, ethereal sort of scent I've gotten from some plum scents: Euterpe's Ukulele comes to mind. There isn't any plum in here, but the black currant creates a light plum effect. There is something clean and bold here, it must be the birch tar. After a few hours I'm starting get some of the oudh to come through. The rose is still bright an clean, with the black currant keeping it as a high note. This definitely evokes the idea of bluish and purple shadows drifting through the sparkling snow while the deep blue of the night starts to creep in. To me, this is a light, fairy like scent that could be that time in winter right before spring. This could be an early spring or late winter scent for me. It's almost too feminine and gentle, but the oudh brings it down just enough that I could see myself reaching for this when I want to smell a little brighter.

Date January 12.2020 BNNU At first sniff I get woods and a bit of an incense scent. Almost a bit of plum too, but that could be my imagination. I get a small bit of floral which could be rose coming through. On skin wet dark roses, or more like dried roses in a wooden case. This evokes the images of dark wooden hallways, grey tinted windows, velvet furniture and roses. This is giving me that goth house feel. Dry 30+ mins A lovely darker rose. It has some of the depth of Peacock Queen without the acrid bite. There is a steady wood scent, like hardwood floors. No lacquer or polished notes here. Worn 3+ hours: I'm getting a little of that incense dry down. It's light and the roses seem to be fading into a dried rose scent (like in Zombi). There's a resinous note that clings to my skin. Final Thoughts: I love this scent. It's a mature, dark yet elegant rose. I love the goth element to this rose blend. The rose and incense only became slightly powdery and that is more than 4 hours later. Personally, I would have loved a stronger moss/Spanish moss note. I think this blend is inspired by the House of Usher; it totally brings an old, haunting gothic house to mind. I'm definitely keeping this one.

Date January 5.2020 At first sniff the oudh is a dry wood scent that almost goes powdery. The moss is a light and airy aquatic scent. This is a dry scent mixed with a green, healthy scent. On skin wet: I can get impressions of actual levels of scent. The blend has a bottom layer of dry stone with a higher layer of fresh, damp green moss. As I breathe deeper, I think I can smell Spanish Moss in this mix. Dry 30+ mins: I swear I'm getting a white sandalwood note in here with some mossy ferns and Spanish Moss. It's not quite what I expected, but still very "grave" like. Worn 3+ hours: This oudh/sandalwood is almost powdery and stony. It's just on that edge of tickling my nose. The Spanish Moss note is not overpowering, which is odd because my skin chemistry almost always brings it out. Overall, this isn't really a green, or stony scent but somewhere in between. Final Thoughts: I've worn this scent for over 5 hours and the elements of the scent are still here. The oudh is giving off a slight incense note. The Spanish Moss has faded and left a fern like green scent. I'm not sure if I like this one enough to keep it. I will definitely have to try it again.

Date January 4.2020 At first sniff I get a deep earthy plum with that smoky vetiver and spice. It already reminds me of the Black Moths, and A Savage Veil blends. On skin wet: A smooth and slightly spiced patchouli plum. I don't know that this smelled like when it first came out, but this aged bottle is perfect! This vetiver is the burning leaf kind. Right now I'm loving this dark and dirty blend. Dry 30+ mins: The vetiver is that smokey, bonfire type and is deepened with the patchouli to make this a really dark yet sweet scent. The plum keeps everything from being too smokey. This definitely reminds me of Black Moths. Worn 3+ hours: I'm getting an incense like patchouli plum scent. I don't slather one the oils, I'm a dabber and that keeps the scent really close. However, this scent has a nice longevity. I could still smell it on me after 8 hours. The vetiver has behaved nicely and never took a burnt out or BBQ route. The plum never morphed and was that same dark plum scent the whole time. Final Thoughts: I have been wanting to try this scent since I started BPAL. I actually bought this bottle as BNNU from Dark Delicacies. The aging processes brought out a wonderful richness to the patchouli. If you can find this scent, it's a great sister to Black Moths and A Savage Veil.

Date December 17.2019 Right away I get the airy dry leaves scent that I love from the Dead Leaves Collection. The black currant with the leaves reminds me of one of my favorite DL blends: DL Black Currant Tobacco Tar. On skin wet: Airy, dry, a little floral and a little feminity. I can get the rose scent here. This reminds me a lot of the old Bath & Bodyworks "Joyful Garden: Stolen Moments" which used to be one of my favorite scents in high school. As it starts drying, the maple scent comes out with a resinous sweetness. Dry 30+ mins: The maple leaves and black currant are adding an almost syrupy note to the perfume. It's a lovely, story book type of autumn scent. Worn 3+ hours: All of the scents have come together in a well blended harmony for autumn. This evokes a bright, warm autumn walk through the last flower garden of the season. Final thoughts: This ones a little too perfumey and delicate for my current style. I would have loved this scent when I was in middle school/high school. I would recommend this scent for those that love the warm, golden last warm days of autumn.

In the vial: Gentle cherry blossoms, with a slight creamy note. Almost candy sweet. Pretty, but not as elegant as I hoped. Wet on Skin: Wisteria barely comes out. This is almost fruity. Right now, the cherry blossom is delicate, not overpowering. Dry 30+ mins: Still fairly fruity. It's beginning to smell like "cherry blossom" lotion. Fairly strong on my skin. Worn 3+ hours: The wisteria and ume/plum blossom florals keep this scent from getting candy sweet. This is very youthful and pretty. Very fairy like.

In the vial: Faded rose and varnished wood. There's a wispy-ness trying to peak through. I think I smell something 'oily' in here. This is definitely an 'old' or 'antique' scent. Wet on Skin: I'm barely getting any dark plum, the blend isn't sweet at all. Actually an airy and oily at the same time. I'm getting the barest hint of rose. The violet is so muted it's almost bitter. Incredibly gentle for a dark fragrance. There is something here that gives the scent a classic old Hollywood scent. Dry 30+ mins: Holy oak Batman! There's a rich, silky oak note here. It's very similar to Fvck You, said the Raven. Nothing else really comes out. This stage is totally oak. Worn 3+ hours: The rose has aged into a nearly resin, soft dark scent. The violets are the sweet note and I swear there has to be an airy opium here. The dark delicious plum only came out for a spell. I love the way this one morphs over the day. The scent locket keeps the florals light and airy. While on the skin it's a silky oak blend.

Date December 25.2019 In the bottle, I get a dark pomegranate like in Horrid Mysteries and a touch of asphalt oiliness. I don't test out any of the "motor oil" scents. I've only tried out Black Ice before On skin wet: the pomegranate is a bit more sweeter than Horrid Mysteries and isn't so bitter. I get the whiff of roses coming through. The rest of the notes sort of mellow out on my skin and blend into the background. Dry 30+ mins: Everything is blending together and mellowing out. I don't think this scent is going to have a lot of staying power with my skin chemistry. Worn 3+ hours: I mostly have rose and pomegranate left over. It reminds me of Persephone. The other scents never really shined through. They might have faded into my skin chemistry. This was a nice scent, but not impressive enough for a full bottle. Final thoughts: Nice but I have other pom/roses I like better. If you're a fan of Persephone, or had hoped that Horrid Mysteries was less bitter, you might want to try this one.

Date December 25.2019 In the bottle, I get a deep, woodsy scent that hints at some musk to come later. Right away this comes across as a very masculine scent. On skin wet: the herbals and woods are coming to the forefront with some of that animal musk I got in Faunalia before. There's something in here that is slightly turning my stomach. Dry 30+ mins: I'm getting some really mellow wood scents and a bit of herbals. There's still a scent in there that's turning my stomach. I've endured with this sort of reaction before, and I'm not going to chance a bad reaction. I'm going to have to wash this one off. Worn 3+ hours: Washed off Final thoughts: A great woods, herbs and musk scent. A bit on the masculine side. If you like Faunalia, or even Black Forest, you might want to try this one out.

Date December 23.2019 In the bottle, it smells like a mild Antikythera Mechanism with a bit of the herbal pumpkin spice just like the PS Snake Oil. On skin wet: Immediately on the skin I get that rich PS scent, like in the pumpkin bars at the bakery. This is really gourmand and delicious smelling. As it dries, the deep vanilla from the Anti-Mech comes out reminding me of the frosting on the pumpkin bars. Dry 30+ mins: everything has mellowed out. The pumpkin, tobacco, vanilla and wood notes have all blended together beautifully. This is a masculine pumpkin spice. I'm really liking this one so far. Worn 3+ hours: The scent has stayed true to the tobacco & vanilla sweet, herbal pumpkin spice with a shadow of teak wood. This one didn't really morph on me and I love that it stayed true to form. Final thoughts: fans of masculine pumpkin scents, fans of Pumpkin Spice Snake Oil and fans of Antikythera Mechanism should give this scent a try.

First sniff off the decant is all pumpkin and leather. This is the pumpkin used in pumpkin spice blends - not buttery and sweet, but herbal and bold. The leather is full bodied but not chemically harsh. On the skin, I get a nose full of pumpkin-leather-patchouli. It has a strong throw right away and is a bit overpowering. After about 30 mins, the pumpkin softens out and blend with the leather. The other notes start melding into the scent. The blending of scents is so intricate that it's difficult to pull a single scent into recognition, but the leather and pumpkin still dominate. As the scent dries down (3+ hours later) it evolves into a Halloween, goth scent. The pumpkin is still there, with the leather making the scent smooth. Towards the end of the maturity of the scent, the heavier scents of leather and pumpkin melt away and leave a haunting pomegranate/patchouli/incense scent behind. To me, this is a Halloween witch. Mature, bold, and unapologetic. I'm not a big fan of pumpkin scents, but I would say this one's a keeper.

This one is a bit more airy and deeper green than I expected. I'm getting that lovely woodmoss/oakmoss scent that I found in "Consoling Pussy of Horse Faced Mountain". It gives off that dark green fougere style scent. The amber in here is a subtle and resinous sweet scent and not overpowering. I can't handle too much amber/honey in my scents and this amber is deep but not overpowering. It's totally wearable for long periods of time. The dead leaves note is airy and dry without being dusty. I guess you could say this is the more "aquatic" dead leaves note. (personally, I don't consider DL to be aquatic at all) This blend reminds me of the "Dead Leaves, Frankincense, Mossy Soil, Hemp" perfume oil from a previous year. This blend has the same airy and mossy feel but deeper and darker.