me & lola

This is lovely: an ultra feminine, spring-time scent. It belongs on a wide-eyed girl in a white muslin dress. Pear floating over wispy florals & a hint of dew. I get whiffs of this in the air around me, but it's hard to smell on my skin directly. If I press my nose directly to my skin, there is only a faint soapiness.

Named in honor of Vlad III, Tepes, of the Order of the Dragon. Black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom. Oh. Yes. This is the one I want to smear all over some dark-haired guy. Until I find that guy, I may just wear it myself, but it definitely feels masculine to me. On my wrist, this is a rich, murky musk with a thick swirl of tobacco. The fir is there, but not overwhelming like it sometimes gets. There is just a tinge of orange blossom to beckon you in deeper and then the tickle of mint at the back of my throats when I inhale deeper. It only morphs a bit as it wears on my wrist, varying shades of sweet and dry. There's some serious throw on this one, but it's mostly the musk that throws. There's a sexy, musky cloud around me, but you have to pull in closer to pick up the other elements. On the inside of my elbow, where the skin is a lot warmer, the pine flares up and is a thick coating over the other wonderful smells. I like that, too, but not as much. It's too sporty.

I didn't think I was into aquatics these days, but Y'ha-nthlei is changing my mind. It smells like deep, seething waters with none of the ozone notes I was dreading and only a pinch of salt. The eucalyptus makes it feel like cold, stormy weather. I can pick out the bergamot, but for once that doesn't feel like a bright, sparkly note. This wears fairly close to my skin and it doesn't last long, but while it is here it is very good.

About ten years ago, The Lion kicked off my love affair with amber. It must have come to me as a frimp because I remember thinking that I didn't particularly want to smell like a lion -- I imagined something masculine and animalistic. I should have focused on the regal part, though, because this one is just gorgeous, glowing gold. It has a hint of spice to deepen it, but I have no idea what that is. While it doesn't have a lot of throw, it is a strong scent if you're close by. It doesn't morph much and it lingers for hours and hours.

This is not only my favorite BPAL, but my all time favorite scent of any kind. Other perfumes I get sick of and drop from my catalog, but never Bordello. It's been in regular rotation on my skin for over ten years. The Lab's description encapsulates this better than anything I could scribble down. It's not the kind of thing I would wear to church or to class or to the doctor's office. It's a deeply sexy, boozy plum, lush and ripe, the kind of thing that makes you want to wink at every guy you pass. When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up to be a can can dancer. This is a can can dancer kind of scent. It doesn't morph much as it dries, though more of the amaretto comes out to play.

When wet, this is a glorious honey, with a nice, bright note of green. I never really get any berry from this one. As it dries, the greenery starts to fade away, leaving the sweet, lilting honey. It doesn't have much throw (very few BPAL scents do, with me) but it lingers for a long time. The smell reminds me very much of my dear departed Eau de Miel by L'Occitane.