starwild

Imp: ...an odd sourness. Wet: Errr...I get the same bitterness that I amp from Dragon's Hide. Trouble ahead. Drydown: The spice and dragon's blood is nice, but I'm getting something really dark and bitter that sours and ruins it, just as Dragon's Hide reacts on me. Strange. It's very strongly cloves and cinnamon, but...is it the pepper, maybe? This one's sort of "meh," but I'll probably keep it. It IS very evocative of wrathfulness. ADDED Jan. 23: Another blend I'm trying in my search for the best dragon's blood scents. Immediately after putting this on I get the same bitter, nasty scent that I get from Dragon's Hide. Is that you, black pepper, ruining my dragon's blood? *shakes fist* There's something about this blend I just can't stand. The spices seem to throw everything out of whack and I end up smelling like Big Red gum. Might get rid of this.

...I waited a loooooong time to try this one. See, New Orleans (the city, not the perfume) and I have a history. I visited the city when I was 19 and fell head over heels in LOVE. I decided right then and there I was going to move there. 17 months later, I did. I lived in the French Quarter on Chartres street for the happiest year of my life...I look back on those days as if they were a beautiful, purple-sky dream. And then Katrina happened, just three days after my 22nd birthday, and I had a meltdown. I spent four months living with my mother in another state, trying to get my life back together. I was heartbroken. I loved NOLA so much, had gone through so much to get there, only to have her, my beloved city, swept out from under me. I went back in October to check things out, and it was like walking through a war zone. Even though the city was rebuilding, I was so heartsick, I knew the city would never be the same, and neither would I. I decided to pack up and leave. It was one of the toughest decisions of my life. Sometimes, I'll get a whiff of a certain scent, and will be reminded of my apartment, of what it was like to walk through the Quarter early in the morning or late at night, passing the crowds of people, the ghost tours, the mule-driven carriages. I remember the streetcars, the river...sometimes I miss her so much it hurts. Now, I look back on that time, and though on one hand, I feel horrified at everything that happened, and feel cheated that I only got a year in my beloved city before she was forever and irrevocably changed; on the other hand, I feel incredibly blessed to have had the chance to spend the last year of the city's pre-Katrina existence living out my dream. It was as if I was gifted with that one year, so that I could be one of the lucky people to know her before it all changed. For that much, I will be forever grateful. ...you see why I waited so long to try this perfume? Imp: Floral like whoa. Wet: Pale yellow and white honeysuckle. Drydown: Soft flowers, lemon, and something dark that MIGHT be...wood? This reminds me of a whiff of a woman's perfume at a restaurant in the Garden District. It reminds me a bit of the St. Louis Cathedral, too. Very, very nice, but honestly...Port Royal is more evocative of NOLA for me, because of the boozy notes and the aquatic floral. Not because New Orleans doesn't smell like the city, but because Port Royal hits more of the things that I personally associate with her. This scent is...sort of like the Sunday morning New Orleans, rather than the Friday night New Orleans I'm more familiar with. It's the upperclass Garden District NOLA, not the more raunchy, eclectic, wonderfully bizarre downtown that I fell in love with. Not a bottle, but I'll definitely keep the imp.

Whoo, baby! Tintagel loves me and I love it. In my quest for the Holy Grail of dragon's blood scents, of course I had to try this blend. Imp: Sweet and slightly spicy. Wet: I get leather, warm spice (the mulled wine?), something sweet--juniper and bayberry, maybe? Drydown: Sort of cinnamon-orange, which I'm guessing is mulled wine (never had it before, woe!) It's very WARM, exactly as described, and complex. I can just about make out each of the listed notes, but can also take them in as a whole. My nose is getting confused between the woodsy scents and the dragon's blood, but they're both there. Very, very nice. It doesn't have the bitterness some dragon's blood scents have, and the leather's not overpowering the way Dragon's Hide does on me. Overall, not quite as good as Red Moon, a lot stronger than my beloved Dragon's Reverie...I'd compare this more to Wrath or Rage, because of the warn spiciness, than the Ars Draconis scents. PROBABLY not bottle-worthy, but will wear the imp. This is like a dragon's blood scent to wear during holiday feasts. Also...this will sound weird...but it smells like the inside of a CRACKER BARREL. I'm not joking. And I mean that in a good way.

Oh my GOSH. I just got a bottle of this, and I might need another. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I'm an August baby and it's always been my favorite month, and this scent captures everything I love about it without smelling anything LIKE August. It's...a red moon, bloody and roiling in the sky, making trouble. I ADORE the label as well. I think it's my favorite so far. Of course, I love nearly anything with dragon's blood, and red musk has never done me wrong. Amber is quickly becoming one of my favorite notes too! This reminds me of Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit.

This might sound a little crazy, but...is there a BPAL scent that reminds you of a starry night, stargazing, starlight, etc.? As you can probably guess from my name, I'm a big fan of all the above.

I just got my bottle of Pirate Moon and three frimps, including one of Midnight Kiss! I have to say I am severely unhappy with this order. ...because I ONLY BOUGHT ONE BOTTLE. *sobs* First, the bottle label looks the same as the Pirate Moon Tee, and there's no name, just the lab name and date, Oct. 31, 2007. Fitting for a wedding announcement, perhaps? In the bottle: Something almost like menthol rises above the other notes, it seems very sharp. Underneath that is an incredible blend of musk, wood, and leather. Wet: This is so beautifully blended that nothing is standing out once it's on my skin. It's a great big impression of sharp sea air blowing over a pirate ship, maybe one docked on a tropical island somewhere. I don't get coconut at all, which is what I was most afraid of. If it's there, it's extremely subtle to even my food-blend-hating nose. Drying: Chatrient compared this to suntan lotion, and I can smell the resemblance, but if this is suntan lotion, it's PIRATES ONLY suntan lotion...made from the sweat of pirates, even! Very swarthy and swashbuckling, but not so masculine that I can't wear it. This has seen all my fears allayed. I LOVE this. My only regret is that the throw is light and the wear is short. Will DEFINITELY be keeping this bottle, and wishing I'd bought a second!

Whoooaaaa. So, in my search for all things dragon's blood within BPAL, I finally got an imp of this. And it is to DIE for. Warm, sweet, thick and rich amber and dragon's blood. This has massive throw and is very long-lasting on me. This is much stronger yet less cloying than Blood Rose. It's somehow even more reptilian than the Ars Draconis blends. The Jurassic Park scent? Works for me!

This is SO GOOD. It's dry, dusty, abandoned, yet incensey and a hint of sweetness. It's like a European counterpart to Oxymandias. Unfortunately, it only lasts a very short time on my skin, and doubly unfortunately, my imp spilled in shipping. Nooooo! I may have to hunt down another imp of this.

Exactly as described: dragon's blood and sandalwood goodness! I once read somewhere that sandalwood is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? This scent makes me believe it! It's the driest of the Ars Draconis I've tried--although I haven't tried Dragon's Bone yet, just as a caution--and yet it's not the least bit bitter. You get the characteristic sweetness of the dragon's blood and the spiciness of the sandalwood working together, and it makes me feel downright sexy and a little dangerous. Mmm. This is perfect for when you want a dragon's blood scent that is utterly NOT floral. I love it. It doesn't have the same complexity as my beloved Dragon's Reverie, but it's gorgeous all the same.

My skin must be doing weird things to this scent, because when it's wet, I can sum this one up in two words: honeydew melon! No, really! Wet, green and sweet. I didn't read the description before I tried this one on, and boy, was I surprised when I did. I guess what I'm smelling is largely the lilies and cypress, and then the aquatic note kicks in. This one is kind of strange. In a good way. It evokes the image of traveling through a swamp, only without that nasty rotting swamp-stink. I like it a great deal.

Bottle: Grape, plum, fig...very fruity. Wet: The same, but...what's this, some kind of spiciness coming through? Drydown: Spicy-fruity wood. I don't get a lot of floral from it, just a breath of gardenia sweetness. Mmm, nice. This is one BPAL that makes me wanna lick my wrist! It smells just like a little curio shop I remember going to once. I can understand the potpourri connection, but it's not off-putting on me.

I'm not sure what I was thinking getting an imp of this when I've been scared off by the really dark scents such as Malediction, etc. ...but I did anyway! Here we go. Bottle: Strong and sharp, sort of generic perfume. Wet: This reminds me of the roots of a huge old oak tree, buried deep in black loam. Drying: Wow, this..this isn't as scary as I thought I would be. Am I perhaps NOT afraid of the Darkness? LOL! This is thick, rich, and will bowl you over with its strength on application. I get mostly myrrh, almost to the point that it's a single note, but after a while--boom, there's the opium and narcissus to give it a grain of sweetness. Wow, a dark BPAL scent I can actually wear!

Bottle: A bit like really good men's cologne, but with herbs. Scared me off a bit. Wet: Dry perfume, spicy-incensey and very warm. Drydown: The oomph of cologne retreats into a very dry scent. Was I worried this was masculine? Naaaah. Clio is a very mature, proud, and wise older female. This oil makes me think of secrets within the pages of books rather than the books themselves. I don't get much of the orange for a long time, and then it's mild. If you like Ozymandias, you'll like this. The two seem very similar to my nose, though this one is perhaps a bit sweeter. Will definitely be using this one, especially while I'm studying for school. I think Clio may be in the running for my signature scent.

How I WISH I'd bought this sooner! It's like a light aquatic floral, very cooling and refreshing. It would have been perfect for the really hot days this summer. The Dormouse is a soft, understated and almost CUTE little blend. It's quite feminine and gentle and, well, mouselike! This scent is like sipping cool tea in the shade of a leafy green tree on a hot summer day. Really lovely. If you like this, definitely try Cheshire Cat, 51, and The Unicorn.

Others have compared this to tea, but in the bottle and wet on my skin, it most strongly made me think of PANCAKE SYRUP on warm pancakes and sprinkled with cinnamon. Maybe it's just my body chemistry at the moment? Very warm, rich, and glowing. Once you get past the pancake syrup? I guess that's the amber. Later, it turns into something much less foody and more feral. Cinnamon and amber dominate, but there's another spice that deepens it. Not sure what it is, but it's nice. I do love this. I'll be wearing it a lot this fall.

Sea spray with an undercurrent of leather, Bay Rum, and salty, dry woods. In the bottle, this is strong and sweet tobacco to me, even though it's not listed. Wet, the same. Drydown, it morphs a little into leather and wood. Much later, I finally get a hint of salty air. It's a pirate smoking out on the deck of his ship. This is a calming and bracing scent, but Port Royal is without a doubt my favorite from the pirate collection. I'll keep this imp all the same!

In the bottle and wet on my skin, this is such a strong wine fragrance that it made me worry about wearing it out in public for fear people would think I'm drunk! But once it dries, it's all wet, juicy, sweet red berries. To me, it smells like berry bubblegum with a dash of something herbal--must be the thyme. The notes settle down into a lovely blend. Very nice, but faded waaaaay too fast. I'm sad now. This was a frimp from the wonderful GoldenRubee! Thanks again!

I bought an imp of this because of the pink pepper. I love pepper scents and thought this might be interesting. And IS IT EVER. You can really pick out the different notes in this one, the sweet passionflower, the undertone of amber and the high spiciness of the pepper. It lingers and it makes me smile. For some reason, it almost goes citrus on me, but a light citrus, a tiny bit like Cheshire Cat. I'm average height, but Hermia seems to like me anyway. This scent makes me feel cheerful and vibrant, but it's not childlike. Hermia is, in a single word, "moxie." Happy and bright and will roll over you like a pink steamroller. I shall wear this whenever I wear pink! (I might, therefore, begin wearing a lot of pink. )

Indian sandalwood and cedar, and the dry incense smoke of olibanum, gum mastic, patchouli and myrrh. Bottle: Dark rich wood and a tiny bit of cinnamon. Really GOOD patchouli. Wet: A little scary because the patchouli is very overwhelming at this stage, bitter and strong. Drydown: Ooooh. HEAVENLY. Once it dries, Sri Lanka is warm sweetness over a thick layer of patchouli. The earlier bitterness fades completely on me, and I do get a bit of cedar and, strangely, a hint of cinnamon. This is a wonderful, slightly spicy scent for fall.

Got this as a frimp from the lab. Wet, it's french vanilla musk. URK. My least favorite scent. Drying, I get tobacco, and a tiny bit of dirt. Not a winner for me, I'm afraid. Vanilla always amps up beyond belief on my skin. I'm sticking with Zombi for my dirt fix.

To my absolute disappointment, this is the one scent from the Ars Draconis I really can't stand. From bottle to drydown, all I get is an intense bitterness that is nothing like leather or dragon's blood. I don't get any of the lovely variation other people have reported, unfortunately, and none of the sweetness. It's just a thick, murky bitterness that clings and obscures. I guess my skin doesn't like BPAL leather. D:

I got the shock of my BPAL experience with this one! It is pure apple-cinnamon on me, with the slightest hint of dragon's blood at the extreme edges of drydown, just before the scent dissipates entirely. When I say apple-cinnamon, I mean incredibly STRONG apple-cinnamon. Nothing wimpy here. It's nothing like what I expected from the description. Either I'm not getting the different notes or I just don't recognize them/can't pick them out. I like it very much, and it's quite a long-lasting scent, but not your typical dragon's blood mix. Lovely all the same, and definitely a keeper-imp.

I have been going through the Ars Draconis trying to find my perfect dragon's blood scent, and darned if this isn't it. Musk does incredibly well on my skin and combined with the dragon's blood, it enhances and supports it without overwhelming. This is easily one of my top five BPAL favorites, and is--so far--my favorite of the Ars Draconis scents. It isn't quite as strong as Dragon's Heart, but it's less sweet and yet somehow, I find it to be quite feminine. It's a he and she-dragon dancing on a hot summer night as wildfires blaze in the nearby forest, melting the rosebushes. As a fan of dry scents, this is right up my alley. It's the Spellbound of the Ars Draconis line. Big bottle. Yus.

So far, this has proven to be the strongest, most longest-lasting of the dragon scents for me. It's very much the same for me from bottle to hours and hours of drydown later: dragon's blood and the almost black-cherry-like sweetness of the currant. The currant is almost a touch TOO strong for me, but it's completely wearable. This is one of the most longest-lasting BPAL scents I've tried, and a definite keeper. Not my favorite of the ars draconis, but one of my top three.

OH, Spellbound, where have you BEEN all my life? Bottle: I just opened to sniff, but the immediate rush of spice-sweet-musk incense demanded I try it on. And I am so glad I did. Wet: This smells just like metaphysical shops in the Vieux Carre'. Heady, mysterious, a little bit kinky. Drydown: My skin chemistry loves BPAL musk, especially this red musk. The combination of a bit of amber makes it divine. Yet it's not all musk, the sweetness from the roses is still in play, just not terribly noticeable. Wowza, what a scent. I'll be wearing this one a lot.