zazkea

In the bottle Beautiful. I mean, I always love opoponax, and I like BPAL's wine scent. I don't know kyphi, but to me, kyphi smells like frankincense, myrrh, wood, ginger and purple berries with a dash of honeyed raisins. A campfire further away, someone drinking chai tea. I don't get pumpkin at this stage. I usually get images from BPAL's scents, but here I don't. It's just nice and calm, and I need to get this on my skin now. On skin, wet Oh hello pumpkin. And goodbye pumpkin (it disappeared). It's gooey and sweet, and to my nose, there is some kind of smoke for a brief moment? To me, it feels like walking on the edge of a steep hill where you shouldn't stumble or otherwise you'd fall down. There is something there, watching in the darkness below, but I am not sure what it is, or what it wants. I am briefly appearing to face a mild headache - but it may be more of an uncomfortable emotional image than a real headache. I don't get wine at this stage. If at all, the wine is mulled with spice. On skin, dry I think this is nice! Well-blended, strong, balanced. Sweet and it has some darkness to it (I mean literal darkness, not an evil darkness.) Can't wear this to the office, but it's a nice mood scent for the autumnal season.

What can I say, it's great. Strong lavender, maybe some chamomile, but mostly lavender. I didn't really believe it would work beforehand, but, interestingly, there is something strong in this oil, and it does have a calming effect on me indeed. It really brings instant tranquility, although if you are, for example, in grief, the emotion or the tears will stay (which is also a good thing, cause tears are a good invention in my view) - but the physical feeling will somehow be calmer and peaceful. It does wear off after an hour or two, but I didn't see any harm on applying this a couple of times, with the same effects. I also tried combining this with Lionheart, but on me, I had the impression that Lionheart also does something to the emotion (temporary strength but with an aftereffect; and I might go so far as to call Lionheart manipulative), whereas Peace is really just that (not really extra strength, but some easy, physical calmness, without demanding anything in return). So, great to have, although it is really for unique situations I think (for example, I personally would not use this as sleep oil, but get a bpal lavender scent for that purpose). Also, I have to say that, rationally, I am sceptical on these things, but physically, it was clear to me that I did feel the physical calmness effects - and that's super cool.

Aged imp (3 years): Wet: water, some salt, and a clean soap, sharp jasmine, sand, and... blue air. This stage on my skin is slightly headache-triggering, and smells mostly like a clean, perfumed, floral soap, for about an hour. After an hour onward: I can't smell any ingredient on its own now. This is a somewhat neutral, clean scent, and not sweet. Mental image: wearing (very) clean clothes, while being on a small, wooden boat that is sailing on the easy waves of a blue tropical sea, with sandy beaches nearby; there's a huge, white sail and, somehow, collected white flowers are neatly dropped on the planks of the boat

Aged bottle: On my skin, lemony old women cologne (sorry) with a whiff of rosemary sharpness initially; then setting to grape-rose; then nice roses. Aristocracy and 17th century evoked mental image. On my mother's skin (she is around 60 years old): perfect match! Like a forest and flowers. And definitely bewitching, because it is just one big "Woooooow" on her.

After three years of ageing, I still like this: I mainly get 3 notes: Gardenia typically works very well for me. Oakmoss usually adds some complexity to a luper scent, to sort of balance out things that might get to flowery otherwise. As a consequence, I can usually appreciate oakmoss in luper scents. Here, it matches the magnolia leave somehow. All other ingredients on my skin are in the background. Image: It's like walking through a garden that has a couple of trees, but its still too cold to wear spring clothes.... I somehow get a dark blue colored huge flag ....made of silk ....hovering in the still too cold spring wind ... that carries first pollen.

Initially this was too sweat and sticky for me. Also, I wasn't very keen to get cherry, rather than blossoms, because cherry isn't my favourite thing. Reviewed after 3 years ageing, my nose picks up rather as a duet of pink rose (I guess that is the cherry blossom then) and strawberry ... with some dew. It is a straightforward, pink scent, somewhat shallow, that fits a pink dress I am wearing today. I prefer my more complex scents, but the view is nice.

Tested based on frimp that is a few years old First associations Metal, rose wine, decadent room, "eehhh" effect, juicy Long-term Stone, floral, shivers/creepy Image Disoriented, where am I? I smell: earth, stone walls, dust, ... ah okay so we're deep below the ground then,.... moss on the walls and it's cold but not uncomfortable, ... ehm?... So okay, more stone on the ground, but surprisingly clean,... Ah, there is a smell from a nearby sauna in the air but still far away....Somehow the room has dim light but without any light source...Now, the question is, if there is not more than this to the image: is this a prison? I would be able to move, but this space stays to look the same: stone walls, stone ground, clean, and a sauna far away. Haha But it also feels like there is no way out in this mental image that comes from the scent, and there is also no more to this image: a stone-walled place below the ground. Oh, but something observes me, that I can't see: I see stone walls, but there is something else that I cannot see, nearby, but when you turn, there is nothing there, it's really just stone walls.... In sum The "ehh" remains.... but it's somehow nice, but weird, on my skin... It's soft, but I wouldn't wear this to the office, cause there is something that spooks me about this scent (which is not a bad thing) -- PS: Interestingly, when I layer this with Arkham, I feel that the mental image is that there IS a way out, cause it suddenly becomes a creepy stone house in a flowery wood then haha, I love this mental imagery bpal triggers...

- tested based on a frimp that might be a few years old- Walking through a bright green forest, with white flowers along the path you take. Rays of sunlight are caught between the trees' shadows. The steps you take are soft, as if embedded or embraced by moss beneath your feet. Some of the flowers along the way might be magical, but not poisonous, more like bringing some renewed energy. Ah, and probably, you're the giant in the family, but you're related to pixies somewhere in your blood origin, decades, what do I say, a few hundred of years, ago. You're probably on your way to your garden, located in the woods, but you would never get your hands dirty, you will let the flowers fly out of the soil, so your hands stay clean. Ok back to the scent, not the image it provokes for me: Well-balanced: hard for me to distinguish individual notes, as cypress for example intermingles with bright moss and wildflowers. I might have expected more pine, but I don't smell it at all, it's way sweeter. In sum: bright, calm, flowery, and not woodsy on my skin. I like flower and wood scents, so its fine for me. It does have magic, but there is nothing 'creeping' at all Very approachable, and this scent really couldn't be more safe for the office...

This is a frimp I received from the lab in April 2019, but I somehow forgot about, because I'm not that much into chocolate scents. Also, perhaps fairly boring to say after 21 pages of reviews about Velvet: the description is exactly as this scent is on my skin: a comfy embrace with maybe a blanket of wool, mostly milk chocolate, a little sandalwood-vanilla (attached together somehow), and in the distance some myrrh (but myrrh disappears on my skin immediately, so that's not unexpected). The embrace is an image I do get from this scent, but it does not have a velvet color or tactile fabric in my mind. After some time of wearing, the sandalwood does a weird egocentric dance on its own. This is chocolate that is not too expensive and somehow fell into a bucket of sandalwood and melted with it, while the store around it is somehow filled with myrrh. It's "okay."

Oh, finally a blind date that went well Mountain temple (which I subconsciously somehow want to call winter temple) starts with eucalyptus or mint that has a big entry, along with what I read as mandarin, wood, and honey snow. And then slows down to leave honey snow, so not much of its initial entry remains. But that's fine, it's a lovely calm scent, like the image on the bottle.

Once on skin, something breaks loose like a fire, wanting immediate attention, and you have to let go of anything you were previously thinking. This is psychodynamic discharge in its finest, although in my decant, I relabelled this to "PD", as I wasn't sure what the government in the city-state I live in would think in terms of drugs at the border. On my skin, there is little change between how it smells in the bottle, wet, or dry on my skin. Its mostly "LISTEN TO ME!!!" (yes, in capital letters and with the exclamation marks). Given I did like all notes listed, this couldn't go wrong much. But it is much LOUDER and more "demanding" than I expected (although the description kinda warned me). This one isn't romantic, it speaks a different language, more like "BOW" or the like. Given I mostly get images from BPAL scents, the one here is FIRE (in capital letters), then: a non-gender individual covered in black leather, slowly and cross-leggingly moving towards you like a hungry tiger, watching you as prey, but only intending to play with you, not eat you. You now realize, this individual is your psychotherapist. You can't really cope that they walk towards you like this; aren't they supposed to listen to YOU?; this one feels like you need to listen 🤪 After a while, PD dries down to a less dominant and fiery scent, and I am able to focus on other things again. Yet, every time I open the bottle, same effect. This later part is very balanced, more in the background (but it might be that my skin just sponges it up), and I can't get individual notes now, not without much creativity anyway. Even later, I get mostly a sweetened gingered patchouli, which is a bit sad, as I liked the initial stage. But thats fine, it can't be screaming all the time; its fine if it becomes a purring cat image (without the cat smell). Super interesting mood scent.

Romans 13:08 works excellently in tropical weather, as this is one of the few notes that stay a whole day and dont become weird. This is really really good. I like rose scents anyway, but the combination with fig and almond is very nice, and the cardamon adds spicyness to it. I dont get oudh and instead get some berries and sweetness, but thats ok. This scent is fruity yet spicy yet fresh, and deep, balanced and well-blended - I think its great!

My little popstar begins all honey and sugared vanilla. Once dry, I get day-flowers; in my mind the image of them is a thick yellow with a bit sweetness. (I think a bath oil of this would create a "safe" feeling). Despite the honey, this doesnt remind me of O, which i would rate more dark, somehow. In this one, I like the innocence: its plainly thick honey, and there is nothing dark in it. The honey and sugared vanilla hide the leather (which is good, as the leather note often doesnt work on my skin). This faint leather is more like suede for me, but thankfully its covered in sweetness. Its good, plain and office-safe, and "just" nice (not complex).

Wet Snowflakes in Chicago to me is sharp but not unpleasant lavender, minty snow, and a blanket. I am somehow reminded of Puppet Kitty, which is one of the few scents ever I didnt like, due to its realism of being a plushie. At this stage, this a bit too stubborn to be one of my sleep scents. Dry Once dry, it goes to more "blanket", now with a hint of citrus and now finally a drop of coconut. And veeery far away, a sweet rose (I can only identify it because I know it is listed). I like it, and its a very good blend for me, despite not being surprising.

Amazing. I live i a tropical country, and really needed a winter break and snow. Also I really like the book, and the idea of Shadow thinking about snow and actually getting snow. It feels like different kinds of mint or eucalyptus or anything cold and sharp, and I love it. Its not a soft snow note, but really cold. A dark starry night illuminating a snowy landscape. This scent provided that to a degree that I even needed to sleep with a blanket at night.

Yea, this is a very nice HG; mainly because the PO was always too strong for my skin. It is exactly that scent, but then light enough to wear it. Its deep, thick, very clean and straight-forward red rose scent. Its almost pleasantly annoying like peacock queen, but doesnt push that through. So its office-worthy, but: If I spray once, it works in the office as well. If I spray >1time, I guess everybody dies from the thickness of the cloud around me. Maybe in a tropical country this becomes very strong somehow. It stays longly. In sum, its great, especially with Snow White around as well, cause I think its nice to alternately wear them. (2018 version) Aged HG after 2 years: I still love it and used this through an entire pandemic winter.

Hm, I think this is different than what I thought after the previous reviews. The bottle has a lemon whiff. On my hair, it becomes something absoluuutely heavy and think, waaay too strong to wear this in the office, or anywhere with other people around. I live in a tropical country, so maybe the scents amp like crazy, I don't know. I don't really get marshmallow, but maybe thats the heavy stuff? For me, it would have been good if I had a bit more lemon and mint, and a bit less of the other notes. In fact, I can much better use this on linen than on my hair, because its less heavy there. It stays a really long time. I will let it age even more, cause theres something that doesn't fit... yet. It's... different. Edit It has aged 2 years now, ... sadly, I can't bear this scent, even not now that I'm not living in a tropical country but in a western country again .... Too bad

#37 (I think. It dripped a bit during a long transport and the handwritten ink was a bit gone) Initially, I didn't like the idea of Chaos, as I didn't like anyone to mess around with the original Samhain. But when I tried this HG, I was amazed. Since I don't have my original Samhain with me in the foreign exchange place where I am, I cannot compare to figure out their difference. I have to compare my "memory of Samhain" with Samhain Chaos # 37 (2018). It does have the nice Samhain notes that I adore - plus. But whats that plus? When applied Initially, it may be almond/marzipan and ... flower... faint tearose or gardenia? ... no, thats not fully accurate , but what is it? There was something pink for a moment, then it reminded me more of honey. Somehow it makes the red apple also come out a bit more than usual in Samhain. For a brief moment, it gave me a whiff of a magnolia feeling, although I can't smell magnolia straight when I elaborate further, so thats probably not in there, but my brain trying to solve a puzzle. Then there even was a whiff of tobacco, but that passed before I captured it, and it really doesn't linger. Then I was also thinking about fur, but I never had anything with fur from the lab, so I can't possibly know, and it was more an "image" the scent evoked: comfort. I was thinking about "Alice" but I am not sure. Then, when I had coloured my hair with henna, and when the henna smell was still in it, I got a note like leather with red berries. So, no conclusion. I don't know. I may get all notes wrong. At the end of the day, I guess it just is very, very comforting, and a bit sweeter and more positive than Samhain by its own. Later It remains ... something sweeter than the original. There also is something "deep", but that may be the original Samhain. It ALL reminds me of something. Something kind and un-evil. I can't put my finger on what that would be. In sum, this is a very comforting scent. It gives some hope in a damp forest. There is a breeze of "positive" in this scent, and it fits perfectly with Samhain. This is a really really good combo, thank you so much for creating it!

Oh, I love this. Colleague: "he?... did you... did you shower or so"? - "uhm...yes, every day, as needed in this tropical country?" - "but you smell cleaner". - "ahh...uhm" - "you know, you should be doing whatever you do more often, you seem very confident somehow now" Emotion The scent is bright indeed; very un-evil, very "hey HERE I AM", so I oversprayed the first time I used this. Scent Very floral, but indeed more the night notes I am acquainted with from "Anthe" Clean but there also is a very very thick, heavy sweet note to it... Maybe a bit musky coconut, mixed with the lab's sweet snow note. Maybe almond. Good aspects Office-worthy when using 1-2 sprays (otherwise you have a cloud hanging around you, as this scent stays a whole day). It stays a very, very long time, compared to other HGs. Impacts my behaviour to a "strong female who can decide quickly yet socially" role. Thats good in my competitive field. Downside: Have to sniff my hair to a degree colleagues start wondering what I am doing. In meetings thats kind of impractical. I love the artwork on the label very much (also in rose red). Thanks lab/tp! 2018 version.

Wow, this is perfect for me. First of all, I really like the idea of getting presents (a book and a PO). Second, this winter scent is not heavy on my skin, and I appreciate that very much. In the bottle: fresh, clean dark red berries (not listed) Wet on skin: mahogany, vanilla Dry on skin, initial: clean, stable scent, office-worthy it is extremely cozy and comforting (no smoke or fireplace, no cat (good, i don't like cats that much), no chai tea ) Throughout time, this changes in between these images, for me: - a library (the entire one, neither a single book, nor a single paper smell) - a clean place and light aquatic, with polished mahogany furniture, an androgyn silver alien with wet skin and red silk dress walks past (...huh...) - a more settled cottage with a woollen carpet (maybe thats the whole "cat" idea in this scent). Knowing there chai is supposed to be in this, ok yes, I can actually smell chai now. But. Not knowing this, i wouldn't have captured that and rather thought "something buttery with very slight and aquatic spice that warms up to be comforting yet fresh later on" Once stable a faint scent lasting for a long time that gives an extremely comforting feeling for a whole day; can be worn at the office Book My book was Photographing Fairies by Steve Szilagyi (1992), a plot happening in the 20's and having allures of Arthur Conan Doyles work, with a bit of weirdness, noir, but also interesting - felt like it suited me very much somehow. Interestingly I got a fairy garden sample with it. Thank you so much, that was heartwarming. Edited to state this: By the way, I really love the label as well.

Imp sharp lavender, laundry, child skin (the oil is colorless) On skin Uhum! *cough. Well... it is EXACTLY the scent of a very old/used plushie. BUT that plushie contains the tears, sweat, spit, and whatever the plushie has experienced in the company of a child. ... Many... many... many years of such. That is too realistic for me. I cannot cope with the whole tears, sweat, spit, child skin (musk) smell around me. The lavender was also too sharp on my skin; not the ones I am used to from the lab (and I really like lavender). As such, this smell is not at all warm and comforting, but very annoying on my skin. Thus, the first time, I washed it off. But for review purposes, I did it again and: Later Well luckily for me, this becomes laundry later on (finally a washed plushie, yey!). The lavender eventually becomes more sweet as well. The imp may work on the pillow for the night. But the scent takes too much time to get from the initial sweat/spit/tears/life smell to a cleaner laundry with sweet lavender mist smell. I am so glad that I could try from an imp first, cause the half bottle I ordered from my circle will have to go to the swaps. Thus This scent shows the perfume artistry bpal and Beth can evoke: images and associations. It again shows that the lab's oils are very unique. This specific one is intimate and personal. Thus, I am glad I tried, despite the spit experience. This scent is like a look into someone else's life. And as such it is very beautiful and artistic! Because how on earth do you get it to smell exactly like that old plushie... I wished it had worked for me, but I can't bear this scent:) Ageing (after 3 years and 3 months): 😞 Ehm... no. NO. Not for me.

This has been described a lot, and much of my review repeats what has already been said: Frimp: myrrh en frankincense. (golden brown oil color) Skin, wet: Only the frankincense, but myrrh usually tends to have no scent on my skin. However, myrrh likely makes it sweeter. The image is: A place: a general (not catholic church) sanctuary, with stone figures on both sides and some candles, but also colourful fabrics, and a bit deteriorated shelter around it. The religion is none I'd know, so it may be more the belief of the people holding this together; but if this place is deserted, then who has lightened up the incense and candles? Dry: This is a comforting mood-scent. It shifts a bit too much towards frankincense, and this is just tamed by resins. Unfortunately as usual, the myrrh vanishes upon skin contact. Hm - I can't wear this every day, but I like this scent very much.

In the imp (decant from an older bottle): floral, peach. (the color of the oil is orange) On skin, wet to dry down: I really like this. I am glad I get flowers and peach, because I like those. But there is something in the image, that is the opposite of kind; this is the image it evokes for my brain: It is indeed only a perfume for aristocrats. But, moreover, there is something witty, seductive and merciless / without soul in it. Something of high beauty and perfected costume and appearance, that would offer you to sit at a table (the table has a bouquet of big, french flowers on it). And in making polite conversations, you'd be reminded of your lower status -very politely indeed-, before some kind of wish would be expressed to you (the conversation tone would make sure that the beautiful being would likely kill your relatives if you didnt comply to that wish). In that sense: perfect for meetings in a hierarchical job. It provides some power (not the good power, more the decisive, overruling, egocentric, yet very polite power). The thing is, I see myself at the other side of that table with flowers. So: I can't really wear this, unless I am on stage in a similar role and acting, or in the mood for the scent, while reading a book at home that has a very polite but heartless villain in it. Dried-down, a bit later: Next to peach, floral, with a whiff of amber, it is now a bit powdery (in a good way). It is high status and beautiful. You may think it is kind and good, but it is not. The thing is; you can't see whether its kind or not, because you can't put your finger on it, but there is something in the back instinctively warning you that the flowers and peach are just a show.

On my skin, it smells exactly like my first Singapore visit, and it fits the idea of intermingling of cultures and their religions. So when I went back to Singapore to work there for 10 months, I left this at my home, as to be reminded of the city, when I come back I like the idea of having SO many scents in it. It is very complex. I like how it combines on my skin, as playful scents (i.e. mandarin, bamboo), heavy scents (tangerine, plum blossom, orange), strange scents (i.e., kumquat), and familiar scents (i.e. sandalwood, pine resin). Plus, I just love peach in any form. I didnt smell patchouli, lychee, dragons blood, and lotus, even not when searching for them (the reason may be that it is very well-blended). Some moments in the drydown phase, orange came a bit too much for my taste, but then it went away again, to leave a perfectly balanced scent to wear, that equals out the individual notes. In sum, I like it mostly because it combines qualities I appreciate: a bit woody, flowerly, and fruity And I like the theory behind this scent (aka description) with wishing all the best for: flexibility, perseverance, courage, hope, wealth, purity, happiness, household peace, constancy, prosperity, fortune, longevity -- and then even bringing those concepts back down to earth, saying kiss my ass, NianNian (who however wasnt so rampaging when I was in Singapore ). This mindset very well captures some of the Chinese religious ideas that I encounter here, and it is just SO cool that all of this is in a perfume (if you believe in it). Although to me, earth dog is mainly 1 thing: fun

This is a cheerful, positive scent to wear in the office. On my hair, it is not overly sweet honey, sandalwood, rose; and a whiff of vanilla. So perfectly rounded that I am usually combining it with less straightforward or more evil or heavy wrist scents. Unfortunately, in warm weather, this vanishes extremely vast (subjective feeling: before I reach the door). So I may need to go back to just sniffing the bottle instead, because I really like this scent;)