Eis Hexe

Well.... this one is one of my absolute favorites, if not my #1. Only scent that's inspired me to purchase the accompanying bath oil and make lotion and body oil from it. This is a scent that I just want to ROLL in. I mix it with Argan oil and use to moisturize the ends of my hair. I'd wash my clothes in it if it was a detergent. As is I put it on wool balls and chuck those in the dryer with my clothing and linens to give them a hint of fragrance. As soon as I figure out how to make soap with it that's gonna happen too. If I had to pick just one scent to wear for the rest of my life, it would be this one. It's exotic, warm, woodsy and has just that hint of sweet and floral to it. It's almost a 'gourmet' Oriental scent and has pretty much ensured that I'll be a BPAL customer for life. It's been reviewed to the moon and back already, but I'll leave my own impressions here for giggles. In the bottle I get a nose full of carnation and musk with a hint of vanilla and spice. On the skin the musk overtakes the carnation and the spices and vanilla really start to pop. After dry-down I feel like I should be dressed in long flowing veils while reclining on overstuffed cushions and sipping Turkish coffee while being hand-fed figs, dates and baklava by strapping young men. This is a scent that's extremely sensual and sexy. The vanilla gives it that special pop that makes my husband take notice (vanilla being the favorite sexy scent of 99% of men and an aphrodisiac to boot). That man hates 98% of everything I've ever brought home to spritz myself with, so for it to actually garner some love and compliments from him sort of puts the bottle in Holy Grail territory. Lugged my 5 mL to Jamaica for vacation recently and layered this gem up with the Kayali Vanilla and Musk scents from Huda. Holy Marrakesh, talk about delicious. This must be how cats feel when they get a pillow stuffed with catnip. It also goes a long way for me and not even sweating by the pool during the hot arse weather soured it.

Frimp! Sticking my nose to the vial, all I can detect is rose with a trace of honey. Hmm. On the skin the honey sharpens, likely due to the myrrh breathing a bit. The rose gets jostled to the side. After the dry-down it's still smelling the same as when freshly applied. 30 minutes later and I can finally detect the crunchy apple and (there you are, lovely!) orange blossom. The frankincense seems to be MIA here for me. This is entirely due to skin chemistry, because I can detect it on my sweater sleeve. This doesn't have a very good throw, unfortunately. That may be due to having an older imp... Wine scents can do some interesting things if left on the shelf for too long after being opened, much like an opened bottle of wine will. Case in point I have a fresh imp of Aglaea that smells COMPLETELY different from an aged one that I received. Night and day. If not for the label I'd have no idea that they were the same formula. If I hadn't dumped over half the vial on myself while applying this morning I would most likely put this one in the 'share with friends and family' imp bowl that lives in my guest bathroom. As it is I guess I'll just dump the rest on one of my scarves so it can mingle and layer with the hundred other perfume oils that it absorbs when I wrap it around my neck. Now THAT'S a chemistry experiment for sure. How oh how can about 200 different perfumes be mixed on a length of viscose and smell amazing? I really wanted to like it, but either due to imp-age or my epidermis, it seems to be gobbled up very quickly. A regretful 2 sniffs out of 5 for this one.

This little gem has quickly become a favorite. A whiff of the bottle reveals juniper and spices. on the skin I’m swamped by the smell of sandalwood and patchouli. When this dries down I begin to notice that warm vanilla scent, which clings to me and my clothes and makes everything smell wonderful. This is absolutely perfect for my skin’s chemistry. Decent throw, incredible lasting power when dabbed discreetly beneath the shirt collar. My bottle is a partial >10% purchased from a forumite, and I went through it in a matter of days. Fortunately (no pun intended) I was able to scoop up a nearly full bottle on EBay. Feliciter!

Lucky to receive a frimp from a recent order with a smidgen of this lovely blend remaining. Enough for two good wears. I feel very fortunate to be trying this oil so long after its initial release, because I believe that age has most likely enriched it, based on the reviews from years past I'm seeing here. Right away I could smell the rich orchid and a slight undertone of vanilla - it IS an orchid pod, after all - and the resin scented, smoky overlay of traditional incenses. On my skin the flower scent opened and deepened as the oil breathed. The incense warms and strengthens the floral, providing a delightful base note. The sultry hothouse floral notes never reached any degree of being overwhelming or cloying, which in my mind is the gold standard of any floral perfume. I am so so sad that this scent isn't available any longer, because I adore it. My ritual space at one point was in the sun room where I keep all of my orchids and tropical plants, and this perfume evokes memories of walking past that space to the kitchen on the morning after I performed a ritual. Hours later the rich scents of frankincense, myrrh, benzoin and copal lingered alongside the scents thrown by the orchids, of which there are so many that they seem to be in a perpetual state of bloom. Good memories.

I received a bonus decanted frimp with a recent forum purchase. This is a masculine scent to my nose. It layers well with other autumn scents like Octobernacht, and it smells like a wet pile of leaves. In a good way. It’s earthy and warm. I detect a floral note in here that reminds me of honeysuckle, but maybe my nose is playing tricks. I wish the scent was stronger, and it fades after a few hours. I will enjoy the hell out of the imp, but I doubt I will pick up a bottle after I’ve depleted what I have. Some scents are worth the novelty just to try and see, and this is one of them.

Catherine never really changes from bottle to skin. This is a soft rose with a spike of sharp rosemary running through. The orange blossom here is very soft, and I’m guessing that its inclusion was to bridge and better blend the other scents. Neroli is always better in small doses in my opinion, so this suits me just fine. Strong botanicals like rosemary tend to stay true to form on my skin, and this perfume is no exception. Roses do the same. This is not an overwhelming scent, neither is it dark or complex. It’s subtle, balanced and reminds me of the scent worn by my mother for years, a floral suited for a classy lady. It’s a shame this has been discontinued, the trio works well for me! It isn’t remarkable but it is comforting, and rosemary is one of my regular aromatherapeutic choices. This would make a wonderful shampoo/conditioner scent. My little imp is likely aged, which probably helped temper the rosemary.

In the frimp this smells floral to me. Wet on the skin I can still smell carnations aplenty, but now I can pick out the nice musk. After awhile this dries down to a soft scent with moderate throw. I can't detect the plum at all, but what's there is nice. On my skin, Bathsheba is a nice, warm, floral musk that has good lasting power. Hmm. I don't dislike it at all, but I'm not sure I would purchase a bottle. It just isn't a remarkable scent. It's very 'polite' in terms of execution. I will more than likely end up wearing out the imp, though. So not a scent that will sit unused on the shelf.

2 imps aren’t enough. This is now my favorite after shower scent in the evening, as it is such a relaxing, therapeutic scent. Being married to an executive chef has perks, one of them being gourmand yummies. The wet scent of this on skin reminds me so strongly of pound cake with a side of rich handmade lavender vanilla ice cream that I could just drool. I’m left dreaming of pound cakes past. Literally. As it sits and dries, I do detect some nice savory notes which only make the perfume even more rich. Please consider a future batch of bottles, even if only for a limited run! This is amazing.

Frimp! I want to bathe in this. Or roll in it. It’s that yummy. In the vial it smells rich and sweet. No one thing stands out (like a good cocktail, everything blends into a harmonious whole). Swatched on the skin it smells even richer. A bit boozy, but more Southern Comfort than Maker’s Mark. I’m having a hard time detecting mint here, as it isn’t the sharp scent of fresh mint. This is muddled mint. It’s hanging out at the bottom of the glass. Dried down this is bourbon barrel rich and smooth. Think amber, but sugary and oakey. So warm! It lasts and lasts on me, and it has a hell of a throw. People walking through the rooms at work make remarks about it. All complimentary! Will be adding a 5 mL to my scent stash.

In the bottle this smells strongly of pomegranate. It’s hard to identify which other scents are underneath the fruit. Dabbed on the skin it’s still juicy pom, but I can smell some spice. It smells a bit smoky to me, and sweet. After drying the pomegranate has lessened and the spice remains. This is a dark scent, but it isn’t heavy. It doesn’t change very much on my skin. The scent is consistent from bottle to dry down, for the most part. I have not tried the original Morocco (it’s been out of stock for awhile) but I am even more curious to do so after trying this pomegranate iteration. The spicy notes are pleasant. After a few hours the scent is fainter, but it hasn’t worn off completely. I wonder how much will change after ‘resting’ in the bottle to let the different components age? I don’t regret picking up a bottle of it, but I’m also not wowed as much as I hoped to be. Perhaps that will change given some time.

One of my favorites so far. I worried I'd smell too strongly of patchouli, so this was a gamble. My husband loathes that scent. A first sniff while it's in the bottle gave me a whiff of juicy figs, honey and clove. A swipe on the skin and the sweet notes are still the most prominent. Most perfume oils sweeten up as soon as they make contact with my skin. As it dries the oil begins releasing some of that unique loveliness that is ylang ylang, and I can detect a bit of the patchouli. After everything has dried down I'm left smelling deliciously. The honeyed fig blends in perfectly with the ylang ylang and clove, and the patchouli gives it all a drop of earthiness. It's spicy, sexy and not overly strong. Since honeyed figs were a common dessert item at Greek, Etruscan and Roman feasts, I think this scent does a wonderful job of evoking the imagery of the hetairae lounging on the couches at celebratory banquets or the feasts that opened religious festivals. Those companions of upper class men were often dressed to the nines in rich hues of purples (considering how expensive purple was in the ancient world this says something!) and other vibrant colors. Their hair was curled and styled, their nails manicured and painted, and their faces made up with the cosmetics of the day. Most excellent!

In the bottle: warm and sharp, with a sweet undertone. Wet on the skin: fresh and woodsy! The sweet amber note gets a bit stronger as it dries. Dried down: On my skin this dries down very well. It's still rich, but the sharp botanical note is more noticeable. It's a warm, woodsy, herby musk that wears very, very well. This would work for both women and men. Good scent throw without being obnoxiously loud! This was my introduction to BPAL, thanks to a good friend. It remains one of my favorites. A very comforting scent.

In the bottle: extremely strong almond scent. I have almond oil based polishes for wood furniture and floors by Method and they smell exactly the same. On the skin: the almond is still the strongest scent, crowding out the rest. Even after drying a few moments all I could detect was almond. Drying: I want to say that there is amaretto in here. I can begin to detect the musk, which melds with the sweeter nut scent to become buttery as amber tends to be. Dry: Warm musk that has melded completely with the almond and myrrh. It's sweet, but not a cloying sweet. Rich, buttery and comforting. More Hekate Soteira than Hekate Mastigophorous! I absolutely adore this scent and I think it's perfect for the winter season, as well as being perfect for wearing mindfully to honor those aspects of the goddess. I can see this as being suitable for everyday use, honestly. It's blended in with the natural scent of my skin and isn't jarring or overpowering.

The bottle smells strongly of honey and boozy fruit. When I first apply to my skin I still get the strong honey notes foremost. There is still a bit of fruit but it’s struggling to be noticed above the honey. It’s like the smell of a strong melomel fresh out of the bottle. Rich and heavy. After it dries down everyone stops jostling for space and settles down prettily. The honey mellows into the wine, and that blends nicely with the sub-tropical flowers. The myrrh provides the base note that gives the rest cohesion and stability. This is different. I like it quite a bit. First impressions are deceiving, and more complex scents like this require a bit of time to both age in the bottle and settle on the skin. Skin pH also plays a huge part in how this scent turns out. It smells better on me if I use a gentle bath soap that doesn’t muck up my skin’s natural chemistry.