hhelix

I share the previous posters' sentiments -- the wet stage is a little jarring and impolite. Have you ever walked under a ginkgo tree and stepped on the leaves and berries? Likened to "vegetal vomit" and other putrid bodily emissions, this is what I smell for the first hour or two of this perfume. Stank does not deter me (I adore patchouli and Oudh), and after soldiering on, the reward is a soft, powdery cloud of nag champa. I don't get fig, amber, or myrrh, though this may be because the oil is so well blended. Medium throw and long wear length. I will thoroughly enjoy my decant!

@hellionetic Good question! I might start looking at some of the RPG scents in the general catalogue. Berzerker is a really nice masculine-leaning scent that is youthful and well-balanced. The artwork on the RPG labels is really cool and relatable, and you can choose which expression of the character you want.

I must admit I bought this for the name alone, not really caring what the notes were. Luckily, it worked out. This is dark, dry, herbal, and complex, with a subtle sweet warmth on dry down hinting at the vanilla husk, but it is predominantly patchouli. The astringent, green, leafy kind of patchouli, rather than the rich, aged, eyes-rolling-back-in-head patchouli. I pick up the sage and a general herbalness intertwined with the patch. This has great longevity (12+ hours) and medium to strong throw. Edit: After settling for a couple weeks, this is much smoother and well-blended. The patch is not so dominant. It's a glorious, sexy, comforting, confident scent. Glad I blind bottled it.

I was so excited to learn this was back in stock, and I ordered immediately. I bought this for the nostalgia factor, I do admit, and clove is one of my favorite notes… First time wearing (after only a night’s rest from the post), I was a little underwhelmed at the simplicity. It DID smell exactly like an unlit clove cigarette. Clove itself even as a SN has some nuances. There was a hint of baked goods early on, but it did not morph much and remained bone-dry, spicy, almost floral at times throughout wear. Just, clove. I think it would layer brilliantly with almost anything, especially the autumn scents, and I will be curious to see how it ages. I'm glad I purchased it, for the trip down memory lane, and to smell like cloves without having to trash my lungs.

I normally don't wear the same scent twice in a row, which is why I have so many imps. But since first trying Bien Loin D'ici, I have worn it everyday for at least a week. I love it that much. It's the perfect Oriental perfume. The honey and caramel are not too sweet, but lend a caramelized brown sugar note to the dry down. I have no idea what Moroccan unguents are, but I'm getting incense and spices that would be at home in a Moroccan bazaar or temple. The benzoin and musk are chewy and earthy, grounding the whole thing in sensual warmth. It has perfect throw, long-ass longevity. I will be upgrading to a bottle in my next order.

I am a big fan of the Lab's roses. To my nose, Lucy's Kiss is a fresh type of rose, youthful and joyful, like the rose in Maiden or Alice. It could be the spice also that reminds me of the carnation in both of those blends. Lucy's Kiss is clean, a little soapy, but there is also a fresh-cut stem and watery greenness when wet. The spices darken and warm it just slightly. To compare it to other rose blends I've tried, Lucy's Kiss seems like a fresh bouquet of pink, coral, and yellow roses, while something like Blood Rose or Black Rose would be blackish red and purple dried rose petals. This would be full bottle worthy if there weren't so many other beautiful roses in BPAL's garden.

Strangler Fig is one of my favorite scents of all time. It's sweet and creamy, but not quite gourmand. Green and sappy, it's at home on a walk in nature. It's my skin but better and just becomes part of my scent when I wear it, not like I'm wearing perfume. Low throw, decent wear length. It gets my vote for the Tournament.

This is quite lovely. Wet, it is jasmine heavy, or possibly gardenia. Something bone-white. An hour in, the dark purple fruits emerge and lend a velvety texture. The violet and incense smoke are ever present in the background. The scent is very well blended and conceptually spot-on. Morgause has a classic perfume vibe while still remaining recognizably BPAL. It gets my vote for the Tournament of Underdogs. ETA: I’m still getting lovely wafts of sweet incense after 10 hours. This one’s a keeper 💜

This is gorgeous. It’s perfectly balanced, perfectly wearable. The rose is smooth with fruity aspects, deep and voluptuous, velvety and rich. The oude is very quiet in the background. I actually hope it comes forward more with aging. Medium throw and wear length.

I put this on without checking the notes. My first impressions were of a masculine leaning gourmand, something almost chocolatey (which I thought was vetiver). Turns out the coconut and benzoin slant it kind of foodie for a while. This is not a sunscreen coconut. I would have never thought to pair coconut and patchouli, but it works. The patch eventually dominates after several hours. It’s a very ripe patchouli too. Naturally longevity is good, as far as the patchouli goes. Strong throw; you wouldn’t want to slather this in close quarters. It's a no brainer for patchouli lovers and fans of sweet, dark, earthy scents.

Dang, this is pretty. The gardenia is bright, watery, and green when wet, smoothed and sweetened by the vanilla. It’s as velvety soft as a real gardenia petal. The champaca comes forward on dry down like a sprinkle of powdery incense dust in a room with a bouquet of fresh cut gardenias. It mutes the florals and the scent becomes more dusky. It’s more languid and low-key than the gardenia oakmoss MaT. Low throw, medium wear length. Very wearable.

Violet fragrances are tricky. When I first put them on, I can’t smell them very well, so I slather more. Then as it warms on my skin, the violet amps throughput the day. Sybaris is one of my favorite violets from the Lab. Clove and violet are two of my favorite notes, and together they are stunning. The clove is slightly medicinal at first, but warms and is rounded by the creamy, vanilla-esque tonka. The violet is more sweet and candy-like than floral. I enjoy this because it’s so unique; I have never smelled anything like it. Would be nice in any season but particularly cozy in fall. I could see this layering well with the recent ménage a trois Cacao, Darjeeling Tea, and Incense, or being pushed into gourmand territory with vanilla, chocolate, or coffee notes. Easy to wear, medium throw, decent wear length. Full bottle worthy for me.