Gwydion

In bottle: Pine dominant. The blackberry, cedar, and leaves beautifully support and enrich the pine. The cranberry is soft and gives a gentle berry impression under all the sharp dark green woodiness. I’m really liking this. Wet: I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s even more interesting on the skin, as the woods and leaves each grow more distinct. The cranberry is very understated, but a clever addition as it rounds the fragrance without tipping it into foody. Dry: Not quite as brilliant on the dry down. I am having trouble figuring out what went wrong here. The cranberry is still pure. I’m still picking out cedar and a touch of pine, so my best guess is that one of the leaves when funny as it started to break down. It’s still wearable, but I’m a bit heartbroken that it’s not as brilliant as it seemed at first.

In bottle: Apparently Babylonian musk is particularly sexy. The hyssop is strong. The lilac supports it beautifully. The vanilla tea goes well with the tobacco. Coconut and tonka are understated, but present. Wet: There is more tonka on the skin. The balance shifts dramatically, with a team of tonka, vanilla tea, and hyssop with a hint of tobacco and coconut forming up as dominant (notes listed strongest to weakest), while the musk and lilac hover in the background. It is more delicate and pretty on the skin, though there is an underlying sensuality. Dry: tea, musk, tonka, coconut mostly.

In bottle: Delicious. Pomegranate dominant. The apple blossoms blends beautifully with the pomegranate. The other elements are grounding and form a pleasant framework. Wet: not quite as nice on my skin, alas. The balance is nearly the same, with the almond a bit stronger. I think the almond is turning the pomegranate turns a little shrill on my skin. It settles out okay given time. The apple blossom ends up reasserting itself in support of the pomegranate which works out. Dry: Mostly apple blossom, fig, and what I’m guessing is the willow bark. Interesting, but not as exciting as in the bottle.

In bottle: Frankincense dominant with an unusually dark and warm violet. I can barely get the cinnamon. This is lovely and darkly comforting in the bottle, but I’m not skin testing a my skin does terrible things to violet and frankincense.

Gently floral with a little aftershave, possibly a fougere, and something woody. It’s a really familiar flower from my mother’s garden, but which is slipping my mind. It’s very sweet and white and purple, richly sensual and far from common place. (Lily and crocus and rose together maybe? Something like that. I’m bad at remembering which flower ids which scent wise).

In bottle: The caramelized sugar creates a rich, nutty illusion hen added to the cream. This is delicious and stronger than expected. Wet: The caramelized sugar and cream separate a little on the skin, losing most of the nuttiness and edging towards creme brulee territory as an aggregate. It’s more subtle on the skin, and while I think I prefer it in bottle, this is certainly interesting. Dry: Long lasting, goes a touch nutty on the dry down, but I’m happy with that.

In bottle: This is unique as BPAlL desert scents go. I’d call the sage strongest by a hair, closely followed by what I’m guessing is sweet grass and tumbleweeds. I’d put woodsmoke and blood next, with the rest of the notes present, but less distinct. It’s gorgeous and very big sky and outdoors. It does it the concept and I wish there was something like this in the catalog as I’d love a whole bottle and there isn’t even enough to skin test here. I’m heartbroken there is not only no more, but nothing even close I can think of.

In bottle: The leaves are strongest. I suspect mint in the leaf accord. I’d but the musk at a distant second, with the other elements mostly subsumed in the leaf accord, but still discernible. Wet: Still leaf dominant with that distracting mintlike element. The amber incense and vanilla infused white cocoa are still entangled with each other but more noticeable as separate elements. This sweetens the blend slightly from the way it smells in the bottle. I think I like it more on the skin, especially as the leaf accord pulls together better as it warms. The musk stays soft, but pleasant enough. This does fit it’s concept well, and is one of the better attempts at capturing the scent and feel of autumn I’ve found. Dry: The leaves soften enough to let the musk and foody elements to rise. I’d still call leaves strongest, with the foody bits second, but it’s all more gentle and equitable.

In bottle: Wow! This beautifully embodies it’s concept. It’s a complex scent poem about Poe. I love the Tobacco musk, which is just barely dominant over the laudanum/linen, the hints of ink, blood, and something soft that genuinely suggests moonlight all create exactly the picture the words suggest. Wet: slightly sweeter than in the bottle, and with the laudanum and tobacco dominant just barely over linen and musk. This is the best use of linen I’ve encountered so far in a scent, and the only instance in which I haven’t found it a touch cloying. I think the sweetness and the floral edge may be components from the moonlight amping. It’s elegant, delicious, and vaguely depraved. Glorious. Dry: Less flashy on the dry down. The linen note matures into a dry beauty, and the ink really shows at it’s best once the laudanum burns mostly down. The tobacco plays beautifully with what’s left of the sweetness and hint of florals of the moonlight. It suggests the study by moonlight after Poe himself has gone off to bet. Utterly lovely, but significantly less flashy than the wet version.

In bottle: Strongly honeyed almonds. The spices sneak up on one with a savory bite. Fascinating and a little odd. Wet: Even quirkier on the skin. Still honeyed almond dominent, but the spices are stronger and there is the ghost of smoke. The spices go a little oddly on my skin and the almonds burn my skin a little. About half the time it’s lovely, about half the time it’s odd. Dry: The almond nearly disappears and the honey softens, leaving an interesting mix of spices.

In bottle: Very, very pink, and also very sweet. Sugar and daisy are strongest, with the carnation an pepper putting a little spin on it. Wet: Very reminiscent of cotton candy. Yum. Yes, it’s floral, but the sugar/daisy mix turns to cotton candy accord on my skin. The carnation separates out a little. Dry: Slightly less cotton candy, as the elements separate, into fascinating individuals. I’m not a floral person, but I can’t sniff this enough.

In bottle: Surprisingly attractive. Violet dominant, with florals supporting. I’d say amber is second, with vetiver and wood very understated. It’s lovely and delicate. (I can’t skin test due to vetiver).

Yay! Now I'm going to have to order another one. Apparently it only takes a year or two to get this rich.

Oh my god, Smiling Spider on the dry down is mostly clove over dark wood. My sample is aged, which I suspect is part of why it's so excellent.

In bottle: Polished mahogany dominant. I love the way the clove and wood interact, adding a sweet spiciness. The musk adds a rich sexiness, the patchouli is soft and earthy. This sample is aged, and the patchouli in it reminds me a little of Crypt King’s. In other words, it is soft and rich and deep, blending smoothly with the other elements without overwhelming. This is wonderful and I’m going to be very sad if the musk is too heavy on my skin as black musk often is. Wet: The blend is still mahogany dominant. If anything, the mahogany is more complex. The patchouli and musk are stronger on the skin, but not overpowering, though the black musk is at the edge. The clove is softer, but wow, so lovely. The wood really makes it pop. Delicious. I suspect that fresh, this would be a bit harsher and less smooth, deep, and dangerously sexy but I’m loving this bottle oh so much. Dry: Clove dominant beautifully supported by rich dark wood, with a hint of musk and patchouli.. Wow, I’ve been longing for something that smells like this.

In bottle: They are not kidding about the caraway. So, it’s caraway dominant with neroli a distant second, and saffron a more distant third. The amber and bergamot are soft but discernible. It does give an impression of gold. Wet: more complex on the skin. Still caraway dominant, but less overwhelmingly so, which allows the other element more play. This isn’t my sort of thing, but it certainly is unusual. Dry: The caraway backs way off, becoming a well blended element in a complex whole. It’s now amber, bergamot, and neroli on top, with caraway and saffron giving it an exotic edge. I genuinely like it at this stage of it’s development, and it is certainly unusual.

In bottle: Omnomnom. Metal, stone, and leather dominant with something sweet that may be part of the incense and a soft musk. Wet: There is now a deliciously sharp green note that is now randomly dominent, with the stone and metal backing it. The incense is pleasant and gentle, bending well with the blood and other elements. This is glorious and complex, perfectly capturing the concept without getting into anything unaesthetic. It’s a cousin to other stone and blood scents in the collection, but the green note and this mix makes it unusual and irreplaceable. Dry: I swear it smells like a particularly sexy species of mold I’m thinking it’s insence and musk making a strange accord. The stone has unusual staying power here, with metal and blood more hints that statements. It still smells leathery, though more gently. The

In bottle: Mmmm.. orange scones maybe? Or cake with citrusy glazing. Something like that. Yummy. Wet: I’m leaning towards the scones with sweet citrus glazing as it’s not that sweet, but more vaguely sweet. The spices are lovely with the orange glazing. I can’t normally do citrus, but this doesn’t amp, so I can actually wear it! Yay!. Dry: Fast fading, faintly cakey, faintly orange.

In bottle: Wow! Rich, complex, and unusual. Pomogranate dominent. The oakmoss, ginger, fougere, and an unfamiliar note that I’m guessing is dracaena come in a strong second, with the other notes all distinct and present. It’s quite heady and powerfully peculiar in a masculine way. I do think it would go well with crypt Queen, and is subtly dangerous and a touch disturbing in a thrilling sort of way. The dracaena smells sharply plantlike and goes really well with oakmoss. I am thinking if you like one, the other will probably apeal. Wet: Still pomegranate dominant, though now the oakmoss is second with the other elements fading back just a little. I really like the earthiness of the aged patchouli under the spices and moss, which definitely suggests mummification and the grave. As it warms, the ginger rises back up dragging the other spices with it. It has less throw than I expected from the bottle, but it’s still intriguing. Dry: Dry and sharp, it’s moss, dracaena, spices, fougere, and a touch of patchouli at this point, very reminiscent of tombs and an even better match for crypt queen. I love this and it breaks my heart that all I have is a decant, because it’s glorious and different. I am not normally a patchouli fan, but it’s understated and oh so right here. I’m in love.

In bottle: Gingerbread, primarily, with candied fruit. It’s a clever and delicious combination, with a pleasing spiciness. Wet: more ginger and other spices, less cake and candied fruit. Less unusual than in the bottle, but still quite lovely, in a warm brown sort of way. Dry: mostly spices and candied fruit with a hint of gingerbread.

In bottle: A particularly lovely and rich version of the ocean scent common in BPALs, with a soft sweet floral edge. Wet Much as in he bottle only saltier. It’s been over a year since I could wear ocean scent, but I think with med changes I can just barely wear this, for which I’m grateful, as I miss jolly Roger and the Phoenix. Dry: A touch more aftershave and about half as salty.

In bottle: Bright and sweet. It’s heavy on the dragon’s blood, with a floral and herbal undercoat. There is a pleasant hint of metal that goes well with the dragon’s blood. My sample is very aged, and I think that accounts for it to be mostly dragon’s blood at this point. Wet: still mostly dragon’s blood, but with some other incense and a hint of earthiness in with the metal. Wet: The herbal and earthy qualities come out a little more, but it’s still dragon’s blood dominant.

you might want to try try him with Vicomte de Valmonte, as it's like drakar only better and more nuanced. Classically sexy masculine.

In bottle: It does indeed smell like sprinkle cup cakes. It also smells like… rum maybe? Or Scotch? Anyway, it does capture that sugary whiteface with delicate frosting scent I was hoping for. Wet: Much as in the bottle, only less boozy and more realistic. There is something in there that does suggest purple glitter. The frosting separates out rather more, as do the candy sprinkles. I’m not sure I like the purple glitter, but I’m certainly intrigued. Dry: The sugar sprinkles pop more as things fade. I really love the cake batter. I’m still not sure about the glitter, though I like it better as the icing gets more icinglike. Really, as it wears, the major difference is it smoothes out and the individual elements untangle a bit.

In bottle: really pretty. The fruits and incense give the florals an unusual amount of body and maturity. The musk and honey lend a touch of sexy decadence. Very well balanced, with the rose and apple slightly more dominant, and the myrrh, honey, and musk slightly less. If my skin didn’t turn rose into a nightmare, I’d love this. I think the