phantasmmysteria

This bottle is still fairly fresh obviously, and in the bottle and wet on skin it’s got LOTS of neroli straight away. It’s almost spicy smelling! The rose musk and rosewood are lending some dryness to this scent, so much so I’m unable to pick out any candied pomegranate. Neroli fans will want to seek this one out, though for my part I’m going to tuck this away for a bit and see if the floral mellows out a tad.

My combined Liliths and Halloweenies arrived today and I’m so excited for everything I got, but the goblin test winner was Pomegranate Turkish Delight and I encourage rose lovers to not sleep on this one! I had a 💡 moment and wondered earlier if it would be paired with my favorite locum flavor of rose, and this is exactly what it is. It’s rose water flavored Turkish delight studded with pomegranate seeds. this is a very light, pretty scent that would be great in warmer weather as well as autumn. It will also layer nicely being essentially a duet!

While I only was able to partake of a couple of peaches, this one wound up being my favorite! this is an equally balanced fruit melange, which a definite sweetness from the sugar and the peach. The lemon peel adds a bit of balancing brightness which makes for an interesting counterpoint. I find all three key components in equal proportions, and also don’t find that this one morphs much. If you’re a fruit fan, this one’s a keeper.

I feel thy blood against my blood; my pain Pains thee, and lips bruise lips, and vein stings vein. Let fruit be crushed on fruit, let flower on flower Breast kindle breast, and either burn one hour. Why wilt thou follow lesser loves? are thine Too weak to bear these hands and lips of mine? The scent of the throes of violent passion: entangled limbs, teeth on flesh, furiously grasping hands, the taste of blood and sweat. Golden amber, white honey, red currant, daemonorops, kush, and Arabian musk. OMG, am I the first to review a scent? Awesome! This has to be my favorite so far of the new Lupercalias! It's actually not as heavy as I imagined it, but is a rather light, golden scent. This reminds me more of the afterglow of violent passion than the actual act itself. On the skin, the most prominent note is the golden amber, which smells very much like the amber in Aglaea. The currant isn't evident at all (unfortunately) while the honey only lends a tiny bit of sweetness to the blend. While the kush doesn't dominate the blend on my skin, it does lend a heady air to the scent. At drydown, this threatens to go a bit powdery on my skin, and now I can also detect the daemonorops in the background; however, the amber and musk remain the primary notes... which suits me just fine, because it's delicious. I think this will age very well, and hopefully the currant will come forward with time. This is going to warrant multiple bottles to put away to age, and I hope it becomes a returning favorite! ETA: After having aged for 8 months, I think I can safely say I was right about what a little age has done for this one -- it's amazing. The musk has (sadly) toned down a bit, but luckily so has the kush which was taking over during drydown. It's mellowed and rounded out, the honey's made it a tad sweeter... guh.

EBISU MAKING LOVE AS TWO OCTOPUSES LOOK ON Oakmoss, skin musk, and nectarine. Well, unfortunately this scent was a pretty big disappointment for me. I was hoping for something both a little earthy and sweetened up by the nectarine. Well, the nectarine definitely adds a great deal of sweetness to this blend, but the oakmoss smells almost aquatic rather than adding any sort of earthiness. These two notes fight with one another rather than blending together, which results in an odd combination that's almost nauseating. I might put this away for a bit of aging to see if the scent melds together with time, but right now it's not looking so good with my chemistry.

I can only echo what other reviewers have said about Amor, to Show That He was Pleased. If you love gourmand scents with a little candied florals thrown in, I highly suggest you get yourself a bottle of this one! In the bottle: This smells like a delicate lemon curd, sweet and fragrant. I don't get much of the florals or even cake in the bottle, but it's a bright and happy scent. Wet: CAAAAAAAKE. This is lemon cake like WHOA at this stage, and it's a delight. It reminds me of my beloved Pere Noel from Yules past, but lemon + candied flowers replacing the orange and anise. This is so enchanting, but the cake note does mostly burn off and isn't at the forefront of the scent for long. Thankfully for my chemistry, the honey note is a supporting role and never overpowers the rest. Drydown: As this dries, there is a gorgeous stage where the candied flowers take center stage but it's so well blended (and so sugar-encrusted) I can't really pick out specific florals. The sugar is light and airy, and blends with the florals to give it a slightly musky effervescence with just a little bit of lemon cake in the background. This stage eventually also recedes until I'm left with a very lightly-lemoned sweetness. This is very, very pretty at all stages for me! I foresee this being a regular in rotation during the spring and summer.

Well, it's a mixed honor being the first to review this here! Unfortunately for me, I'm not convinced that this scent works for me but here're my impressions. In the bottle: I can definitely smell the berries straight away, sweetened a bit by the honey and cream and giving off a bit of a jammy vibe. I can't really pick up any of the floral notes, but there may be a bit of the sweetness also coming from the lotus root at this point. Wet: Ah, there are the florals! I can't really pick out the lavender, but I do get a burst of heady ylang ylang along with the berries. I think the floral combination in this is a bit disconcerting for my nose -- it almost reads like a musk note at this stage, but the florals burn off fairly quickly for me as this dries. This is the loveliest stage on me, and I wish I got more of the florals + berries because the combination is intriguing. Drydown: After the florals calm down, sadly the honey dust combined with what's left of the other notes manage to go slightly plasticky on me? I don't generally have a plastic note issue, but something with this blend just goes sideways with my chemistry. I think I'll probably let this one go instead of aging it. I imagine aging will smooth this scent out nicely, but I don't think it's for me.

This is a rather different scent family than I would typically gravitate toward, but after testing my decant I had to get a FS. Wet: a burst of pine is at the forefront of this, but also my beloved sagebrush and a hint of wildflowers. I don't really detect anything mentholated (as I'm particularly sensitive to that), but there is something giving the impression of fogginess behind these notes. Drydown: here, I start to pick up the stone note more, and in combination with the other elements this starts to smell like an expensive cologne with my chemistry. I've come to embrace some more masc scents when I'm in the mood, and it's lovely I think. After extended wear, this phase shifts and I'm left mostly with the sage and wildflowers (which are two notes my skin loves as does my nose). I can see this being more of a niche atmospheric fragrance, but it is incredibly evocative!

I was excited about this scent for a number of reasons, and it does not disappoint. The vanilla is warm and comforting and the sandalwood is beautiful. I’ll echo that this is a scent that stays close to the skin, and is simplistic enough that one could easily use it for layering. I will be getting backups of this one!

Oh, this is freshly from the mailbox but was too pretty to resist for long so I'm giving it a go! In the bottle: this is a very soft, ethereal floral blend, with none of the sharpness that white florals can have. I haven't smelled Twilight in a while, but the similarity in notes has a feel that reminds me of that blend but softer. Wet: the night-blooming flowers are predominant with perhaps just a touch of greenness. I'm not picking up any sandalwood specifically, and the jasmine and rose attar are doing a bit of a dance in and out of the foreground but everything plays nicely together on my skin with no one note overtaking the others. Dry: much the same as the wet stage, this is a very well-balanced scent that is incredibly evocative of a foggy moonlit stroll through a garden. I think at this stage the honeysuckle and wisteria are slightly more prominent than the other notes, but overall it's difficult to pick out the separate parts however the whole is rather divine.

This has long been a favorite BPAL of mine, not the least of which because my stage name is Ava. I'll echo the other posters who have compared this scent to Flowerbomb. I own both scents, and fresh on my skin the two are so similar I would be hard-pressed to tell them apart. Ava eventually dries down to a very lovely floral & vanilla musk combination that my skin loves and wafts around me whenever I move. Unlike the character, I don't get anything "off" about this scent except for the fact that it doesn't *really* smell like a standard BPAL blend; it's definitely BPAL's take on a contemporary perfume however, and in that regard I think Beth knocked it out of the park.

I'll start off by saying that Morgause is one of my favorite GC blends when I want a darker, more formal floral perfume but she's not for the understated! This scent has quite a decent throw and wearlength, but depending upon skin chemistry the florals can run away with you. In the bottle: I'm not very good at picking out specific florals in a blend, so in the bottle this just smells like sticking my nose in a fresh-cut bouquet; I get no fruit or incense from it yet, and I *think* the jasmine is the predominant floral but I can't be sure. Wet: Ah, yes here we go! on the skin, this scent starts to bloom and that's when it takes on it's "purple" hue. I also cannot pick out any particular fruits in this blend, everything seems to coalesce with the incense and flowers to make for a heady, brooding floral. This stage reminds me of an incense I bought decades ago from a New Age shop in my hometown which also smelled delicious. Drydown: Eventually, the fruits evaporate, leaving just a whisper of their memory in a cloud of incensy, violet-tinged florals. I agree with another reviewer who said this blend smells womanly -- not girly -- and is perfect for me when I want a scent that makes me feel powerful yet feminine.

Okay, I took a chance on two blind bottles of this because I had such high hopes and this Ghost delivers! I knew I had to try it after the combination of cognac and vanilla reminded me of the Laces, and I definitely think if you're a fan of those that this would be a great addition. In the bottle, this just smells warm, comforting, and slightly spicy. The vanilla is the sweetest here, and it's still not an overly gourmand vanilla. There's a dryness that persists onto the skin, that's what I'm reading the tumbleweeds as. The balsam is sooo good, it's definitely not piney but works in tandem with the cognac and vanilla. I've sniffed this alongside my cherished bottle of Antique Lace; I'd say these two are related, but where Antique Lace reads as "cool" vanilla linen, Cognac-Stained Sheet Ghost is all warmth and rugged around the edges but still comforting.

This scent is SO hard for me to really nail down any specific notes other than the lavender, which is at the forefront of the scent when it's in the bottle/wet. Once it dries some, the lavender cloud settles down and blends into this and makes it a really lovely chypre that maybe smells like freshly ground dank sprinkled with a little sweet lavender. I get nothing smoky from the blend, which I consider a boon but this is such a complex and interesting combination that nothing overtly screams "I've been smoking the Devil's Lettuce all day." This is what I would consider a unisex scent (at least on me), and I think this will also age very nicely. Even though I actually was hoping to smell a little more like jazz cabbage, I'm really glad I ordered a couple of bottles of this because it's a standout in my collection.

Well, unfortunately this scent was probably my least successful Sheet Ghost due to skin chemistry, but she has her charms for the right wrist. I have this image of Floral Sheet Ghost being the cottagecore-loving cousin to Black Satin Sheet Ghost, in that those are the two scents from this collection that I find to be the most perfumey and have the strongest throw on me. Wet: this starts off with a blast of tangy pineapple straight away, and the rose quickly makes its way forward. I get virtually no sweetness from the sugar. Drydown: as this dries, sadly the carnation (which is not a great note for me) sort of stomps all over the rest of the scent and this has a very sour rose phase on my skin. I generally really like rose scents, but the combination of these particular florals (without enough sweetness to balance it out) just doesn't work for me.

Wow, I wasn't quite sure about this one when I ordered it, but I'm very glad I did anyway as on me it's rather gorgeous! Straight out of the bottle on skin, the narcissus dominates. This is a note that works fairly well on my skin, but the opium and patchouli lend in supporting roles to make a scent that really does remind me of black satin. This perfume would absolutely not be out of place at a goth club, but that fact that it doesn't really have any sort of smoky notes like so many other scents along those lines makes this wearable for me! During drydown I get a slight greenness to the scent if I huff my wrist, which I'm assuming is the mate but I cannot detect it in the throw. Speaking of throw, this scent has the farthest of the Sheet Ghosts IMO -- definitely not for the faint of heart. I have high expectations for how this scent will age and think it will only get more amazing with time, but if narcissus is not your skin's friend then this may not be the scent for you. If it is, though, I would highly recommend getting yourself a bottle.

In the bottle and freshly applied: this is the smell of orange peel (complete with bitter pith) with just a slight herbaceous undertone courtesy of the lavender. As this begins to dry down, the citrus very quickly calms and becomes more "creamy," presumably from the candy and anise -- it reads very vanillic on my skin, but I have that tendency to amp even the slightest bit of vanilla so if it's in here, it's gonna happen. Early drydown is my favorite stage, because all of the elements are nicely balanced and the sillage is beautifully soft, sweet, and just a hint floral in nature. Sadly, this is a fleeting sort of scent, and once the citrus burns off completely I'm just left with a vaguely sweet scent on the skin (which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, I just wish the citrus stuck around longer in the drydown!). This scent is a more well-balanced version of Huesos De Santo, which I also adored but went too cakey/vanished too quickly on me. I adore this scent, but it's definitely one to slather or wear in a scent locket (or both!).

THE SPELL OF AMOROUS LOVE Red currant, plum flowers, sake, green tea, and cherry blossom. Fruity-floral fans, take notice! This is a very pretty blend, much softer and less aggressive than the uber-peachy La Vague (which I love, but not everyone's a fan of wearing peaches). Like La Vague, I can see this being an excellent spring/summer blend. The currants and plum flower are the most prominent notes right out of the bottle -- it smells very fruity at this stage, perhaps just a little boozy. As this begins to dry, the cherry blossom dominates for a bit. Between the flowers and the sake this gets to be so sharp as to become eye-watering, but this stage doesn't last long on me. The cherry settles back after a bit and it gets much softer, and when it's dry all I can smell is the currant and green tea with a hint of plum blossoms in the background. It's so lovely at this stage, but it's such a soft scent to begin with and it fades pretty quicky. I think this scent is a good candidate for dilution (in a carrier oil or alcohol) or for a scent locket.

I fiiiiiinally acquired a bottle of this luscious hair gloss! I actually joined a decant circle in order to try this, but then a swap offer came along with the chance at a full bottle, and so I couldn't pass it up. I am glad I didn't, because I'm going to need the whole bottle! Bottle: I actually did unscrew the cap and take a big whiff. From there, the scent is very sweet with a side of gardenia, and yes, just a hint of anise! Perhaps it's just how the combination of the coconut and the tiare combine to give the impression of anise, but there you have it. Sprayed/Wet: I practically doused one of my wigs in this scent because it was being particularly unruly! The scent blooms and is dominated by the vanilla and coconut at first. I can smell the gardenia, but it is in the background. The coconut/vanilla reminds me very strongly of Snow White, but the addition of the taire is certainly more evocative of a beach vacation than a winter retreat. This is very potent when first sprayed, and has a large throw -- my upstairs smelled pretty delicious for a good hour after application. Dry: After a while, the only thing that lingers is the gardenia, which I really have to press my nose to my hair in order to smell. I was surprised that it would fade so much after being so strong upon application, but this may be a good choice for you if you apply HG to your hair at night and don't want a scent that might clash with your perfume the next day. Verdict: I love it, but I didn't have much doubt that this would be the case -- it's three of my favorite notes! If you don't mind sweet scents or gardenias, I highly recommend this gloss.

Well, it's been a minute since I've done a review, but there are so few I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. In the bottle: I actually get mostly the lunar herbs in the bottle, which is not my preference (these are usually what make Lunacies not my favorite). Wet: Hmm, I get a blast of something in the mint family right off. There's a jumble of scents all fighting for dominance, and at first it's really hard to pick anything other than the minty note out. The mint burns off eventually, and as it does the lemongrass, cherry blossom, and fruits begin to peek out. Close to the skin, the scent is all slightly sour fruits, but the throw is a lovely soft floral. Dry: As this dries down, there's something almost... incensy?... about it! Actually, there's something about the combination of one of the base notes and the florals (could be the lemongrass/lemon balm) that strongly reminds me of Morgause. Verdict: I was worried I was going to swap this one off immediately like I did the last Cheshire Moon, but the Morgause-like drydown makes me think twice about it. I'm going to hold onto it for a bit and hope the lunar component settles with a bit of age, because otherwise it is lovely.

If I am feeling anxious and need something to help settle my nerves so that I can shine, I wear Pisces '07. When I want to be a cold, calculating bitch, I wear Morgause. I get a feeling of raw power from Crypt Queen. If I just want to feel like I can take on the world, I go with Gun Moll. That said, I tend to use TALs if I'm expecting a serious battle -- you really do not want to fuck with me when I've added a little Bend Over to the mix (and it's really great for *ahem* recreational power plays, too...).

A bit of belated advice but Khrysee is the scent I grab when I want to smell a true orange blossom. Notes are: Vanilla amber and orange blossom. Seconding this. Close to the skin, all you get is the amber, but the throw is all orange blossom.

This is closer to Tattered Lace than Black Lace IMO -- the tobacco, tea, and vanilla are the dominant players here. There is none of the gorgeous Indian musk that I adore so much (and I amp musks like whoa), and without it Autumn Musk is just sort of vaguely sweet and flat. For those that found Black Lace to be too musky but enjoyed everything else, this may be a solid bet. For me, however, I am completely content with the original recipe.

I am so glad you decided to give Thalia a whirl and it turned out okay! I don't think there was a single winner in my first batch of imps, and really it all came down to me picking notes I THOUGHT I liked, as opposed to what actually works for my skin chemistry. And RE: training your nose -- I compare the "baby powder" phenomenon to something akin to olfactory white noise (especially for new BPAL noses). Notes like honey and amber are not a singular note, but very complex blends in and of themselves. So when smelling these scents without having experience with the smell of some of the individual components, IME it just tends to read "powder." Now, your skin chemistry may very well make certain notes MORE powdery, but as you become more familiar with BPAL you may come back to these scents and find they aren't so powdery after all.

If you love Peach Moon, the peach note in Tanuki no Orai is identical! The supporting notes do make Tanuki sweeter and a touch more floral (whereas Peach Moon has an underlying herbal/greenness to it), and the throw is stronger than what I get from Peach Moon. The lotus never veers into bubblegum territory, though I do wish I could pick out the persimmon a bit more. This Tanuki is a total win for me! It shall warrant a couple more bottles, at least.