monocainsheresy

Warm golden amber, sandalwood, and heliotrope, candied by the vanilla and peach. Like those big plastic buckets of multi-colored sherbet, warmed to the point of smelling almost boozy.

This one is such a disappointment. Lots of notes that are either very good or very very bad - and unfortunately in Mata Hari they all go bad. Stinky roses, stinky jasmine, dirty coffee, aquatic fig - with the vanilla, tonka, and mahogany trying very hard to smell lovely. Like Miskatonic University in a sewer.

Super sleek - metallic, floral-evergreen, a memory of tobacco, and the thought of musk. Too soapy and sneezy-cologny for me.

Sharp, polished woods (cedar?) and sweet smoky incense. A lot of frankincense, but not so much that it develops the usual citrus edge. I think the little bit of sweetness is probably benzoin, and there's definitely myrrh in there. Very dry and antique-smelling - one of BPAL's best incenses.

Herbal violet and mint - medicinal but not off-putting. Candyish orris and powdery, vaguely smoky opoponax turn this into a scent with many facets and a lot of depth.

Boy, when they say "dry" and "thin", they really mean it. A slight hint of DB, white crackly woods, and smooth orris. Very pale and skin hugging. Like, within-a-half-inch-of-the-skin, skin hugging.

I get all of the notes, except the peppers, in wonderful balance, with a slight edge given to the cinnamon and honey. Spices and honey, musk and crisp ginger. Yep. This is a good one.

A distinct and medicinal leaves note which combines with the incenses to produce an almost leathery aura of herbs and musk. Think of The Black Rider or Iago, but much softer and woodsier, like Robin Goodfellow.

Well this is a lot of notes I've never encountered before My comparison would be generic craft store honey + apple candle. There's something in the background that's almost aquatic/medicinal, which I'm going to say is the poppy because it smells an awful lot like opium.

A fresh, hippie nag champa scent that's heavy on the orange. Very nice, but I have another nag champa perfume that I like a lot better.

Honey, bright florals, a bundle of herbs, and fizzy cognac. Mostly honey + cognac, which is a combo I am... definitely not a fan of. Not for me.

Candied rose and orange blossom, musky honey, and powdery sandalwood. Very sweet and feminine.

Seduction, sensuality, the Act, and the aftermath all in one. The scent of warm, damp skin flushed with the glow of passion, touched by the luxuriant potency of ylang ylang and myrrh.  Vaguely floral (I get jasmine - it's probably the ylang ylang), musk, a touch of honey, and MYRRH. Reminds me of a less incensey/herbal Gothic Horror.

Wet: ALMOND EXTRACT - smells like christmas cookies! Dry: Cinnamon with the almond in the background. The cinnamon smells like opening a fresh box of HEM cinnamon incense sticks. Too intensely cinnamon to be a foodie scent per se, but definitely a yummy, holiday-y scent. This is much more upbeat and comforting than I expected from the concept, but I love it!

Citrusy, herbal, and musky. There's definitely rose. Very soapy, a little cologne-y. It does smell a bit like cat.

Gorgeous vanilla and sassafras, kept from being foodie but their little friend cedar. Brings to mind long dusty trails, ghost towns, and tall lonesome trees.

Sharp cypress, dusty incenses, and foodie hazelnut. A cozy autumn scent.

The sweet wet dragon's blood from the rest of this collection, and beautiful, soft, incense-shop sandalwood. An upbeat incense scent.

I stand by this is a GC dupe for Fuck This Heat. It's very hard for me to tell the difference between the two, beyond FTH being slightly harsher. Metallic, cold lavender, a little bit of powdered sandalwood and an undertone of white musk.

Nope. Nope nope nope. Not for me. Mostly cherry, wine, clover, and vetiver. The combo of juicy, fruity reds and musty browns is not super coherent, if that makes sense? The layers are separate, and don't really mix with each other. It might be the honey + opium poking through that's putting me off.

Amber and slick, wet dragon's blood! Very nice, but I personally prefer regular Dragon's Blood. This has a little tinge of honey.

Wet dirt, juniper, and a rosy floral cloud. Somber, loamy, and green. Makes me think of headstones covered in moss and lichen.

I'm going to say black pepper, honey, maybe rose, and some kind of resin. It's mostly the pepper and honey and somehow it ends up smelling a bit like fried rice, or hot lawnmower

Hello black musk, hello tobacco! Wow - immediately super masc and woody. Fire and woods, smoke and shadows. This is definitely a new fave.

This is so much sweeter than I expected from the description - not to mention the color. It's seriously crayola green in the imp! I immediately get cozy musk and saffron. A bit of resins, a bit of spice, a little woody. On me this is weirdly foody, like the same cake in Alice and Eat Me. No idea where that's coming from. I really like this! Snuggly and sweet.