Penance

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on LJ. I think, anyway, I seem to have lost my records on this one. Preconceived notions: Ivanushka is one of those scents that didn't jump out at me when I first read the description (which is kind of surprising), but that suddenly grabbed ahold of me later and insisted that I buy it. Musk is generally good on me (although white musk tends to turn powdery) and I love woods and leaves, so I've got relatively high hopes for this ninja scent (my loving pet-term for those scents that sneak up on my unexpectedly and shanghai me into buying them). The only thing I'm not completely sure what the fur portion is going to smell like (I only know what my kitties smell like since I don't, and haven't ever, worn fur myself), though, so that could be an unexpected pitfall (or it could work out beautifully). We'll see! First sniff: Hmm...this isn't a total winner right out of the bottle. I don't get the pickles that other people are getting (thankfully; pickles truly are cucumbers soaked in evil). Instead, what I get is a rather powdery, dry musk that's pretty similar to the Lab's white musk blends. It's a bit like Oisin, sans herbs, but the similarities aren't that strong. Oisin is cleaner, whereas Ivanushka just smells powdery and dry. Wet on skin: Better! The powderiness goes away and I get a soft, clean musk scent that really does remind me of clean fur. I wouldn't say it smells like an animal, exactly, unless it's a furry creature after a nice bath and a lounge in front of the fireplace to dry off. It's soft, musky, clean and warm smelling, somehow. And it's oddly comforting. It's really hard to describe this one properly. It's very evocative in a way that evokes pictures rather than words. I like it! Dry down: I love the drydown on this one. It's soft, fluffy, musky and almost creamy in a way. It reminds me of a snuggly rabbit. In fact, I think that might be the mental image that's been circling my brain and refusing to land on my tongue. I had a lop-eared rabbit when I was growing up (her name was Kelly and she was black, soft as...well, a bunny, and really badly behaved, but I digress) and Ivanushka makes me think of what her fur must have smelled like (although it's been so long that I only remember the feel of her, warm and silky in my hands, and not the actual smell of her. It's soft and warm and musky and comforting. While the musk is the predominant note here, there's a very faint layer of warm wood (it's almost like sandalwood mixed with oak, but not quite) and dry leaves peeking out from underneath. Just enough to give it some depth and a little extra interest. I'm actually getting a little misty-eyed smelling it because this evokes a really strong emotional response from me. I love animals and there's nothing more comforting than a soft little body pressed up against you, all warm and snuggly. That's what Ivanushka smells like to me, if you could translate that physical sensation into an olfactory one. The bottom line: I wasn't sure I loved Ivanushka the first couple of times I wore it (it needed to rest after its journey, I think, since it was initially very powdery from start to finish and has changed into a creamy, snuggly muskiness with a little time to recoup), but now I love it. It's not quite like any other musk scent I've tried from BPAL, although it could be considered a distant relative of Coyote (if you took out Coyote's leather and herbs and make it creamier).

Red musk version: Origin: 5mL from lamenteuse. Preconceived notions: I passed on this one when it was live on the site, thinking I didn't need it and wouldn't like it. Honey is, more often than not, bad on me. It's either sickly sweet or weirdly sour...or both, in the case of O. Red musk I liked, but didn't love with a fiery passion. Until the Halloweenies came down...and I suddenly developed a raging love for red musk and suddenly had to have The Infernal Lover. Go figure. So I'm hoping this one's a winner because I've been coveting it like mad ever since I suddenly developed a love for all things red musk-based. I'm just hoping the honey works for me. First sniff: Mmm, now this is honey I can get on board with. The Infernal Lover is definitely heavy on the red musk in the bottle, but it's also heavy on the honey. And it's a sweet, true honey scent, not the cloying, weirdly sour strangeness that is O (which I was concerned about, seeing that people have compared O to the honey in this one). This smells almost like a fifty-fifty mix of honey and red musk at this point and I'm liking it. Wet on skin: More honey than red musk, but the honey is still behaving itself. It's sweet and sultry and just a tiny bit powdery. Not like baby powder, but like an edible honey-flavored body powder that I owned at one point. The red musk is there, though, giving it a rich, musky sultriness, so it's not too one-dimensional or too sweet. Dry down: Still more honey than musk. I'd prefer if it were just a little more balanced, but I really like this on me. It's a very sensual, womanly scent that oozes sex appeal. It's sweet and appealing, but also a little ranchy. Just a little, though, not like Lust v7 or one of the other super-intense red musk blends BPAL does so well. It doesn't have a lot of throw for me, but that just means it's better appreciated up close, which is appropriate for a sensual scent like this. The bottom line: The Infernal Lover is a simple scent, but still alluring. I feel sophisticated wearing it, but not too mature or unapproachable. It's a real "come hither" scent and very different than pretty much any other blend in my collection (not because it's complex or unexpected, but because it's not like anything I normally wear). I'm glad I ended up with a bottle of this one. ETA: Another couple of weeks in and I swear the red musk is gathering momentum and is going to to stage a coup and overthrow its honey overlord here very soon. And I'm loving every minute of it. Don't get me wrong. It's still very clearly a honey and red musk scent, but the red musk has started to really show its true colors, as it's wont to do with a little aging. And it's delicious. ETA again: I now have two bottles of the red musk version and they're different. One is very heavy on the red musk (virtually a single note with just a touch of honey; very strong) and the other (reviewed above) is much stronger on the honey and seems to fall in between the no musk and "super musk" (as I'm calling it) versions. I don't know which is the intended version of The Infernal Lover, but luckily I love red musk, so the super musk version is a winner, whether it's supposed to be that way or not. ----- ETA again: Tracked down a second bottle that was supposed to be the red musk version, but I ended up with the no red musk version instead. No red musk version: Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. First sniff: This is the most realistic honey scent I've come across from the Lab. It doesn't have that strange, cloying sweetness that so many of the honey blends do. It's just like sticking your nose in a jar of fresh honey, but with a touch of added vanilla cream. Wet on skin: It's easy to tell that the base is the same for both versions of The Infernal Lover. This is just like the red musk version, but without the red musk. I'm sure that should be obvious, though. Sweet, alluring and rich. I don't get much vanilla cream at this point. This is almost pure honey, but it's definitely not a single note. There's a creamy muskiness going on in the background that I can't really identify. Maybe it's just a particularly multi-dimensional honey, I don't know. Dry down: The no red musk version is the more innocent and virginal sister of the red musk version. They both ooze sex appeal, but the no red musk version doesn't have the raunchiness that it's red musk sister does. I have to say I really like this. It's almost what I wanted Love's Philosophy to be, oddly enough (since there's no honey in Love's Philosophy). Sweet honey and a rich vanilla cream. I smell like a really high class dessert, but it's not really a foody scent, exactly. I know that doesn't make much sense, but it's hard to explain. It's a rich, sweet scent that smells decadent and edible, but not like a bakery. Maybe I should say it smells like something you would want to lick off your lover's body than something you'd indulge in as dessert. The bottom line: Surprisingly nice! I wasn't really interested in the no red musk version of this one (since my original attraction to The Infernal Lover was the result of the musk and I'm not usually fond of honey scents), but, like so many other surprise winners, it found me and we hit it off. I feel incredibly sexy wearing this. In fact, it makes me think of the District line. This version of The Infernal Lover would feel right at home with the other crib girls.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: I've had a bee in my bonnet about trying this one for a while, probably because of the name, which makes me smile. BPAL's honey note is one of those hit or miss things for me. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't and sometimes (as in the case of O), it smells horrible on me, both sour and sweet at the same time (and more than a little bit like vomit). Sugar plums, as appealing as they sound (in a whimsical way), don't work for me in BPAL (Midwinter's Eve and Sugar Plum Fairy were both failures on me) and rose is a death note, so this one is a major gamble, but I'm so excited to have a half a bottle of my own that it's kind of pathetic. First sniff: I was expecting something much more heavy on the honey musk, but straight out of the bottle, I get honeyed sugar plums. And it's surprisingly pretty, in spite of my bad track record with other BPAL sugar plum blends. It's sweet and fruity and girly and innocent, but it's also slightly musky. It makes me think of a little girl more than a little girl's plaything. And, in spite of it not being a "me" scent at all (since I lean towards gender neutral to masculine and prefer incense, resins, wood and dirt), I like it. Wet on skin: I get a little bit more honey musk once Comforting Plush Companion hits my skin, but it's still predominately sweet, slightly tart sugar plums. I don't get any rose yet, which is a very good thing since even a tiny little bit of rose can ruin a blend for me completely. This is a fun, light-hearted scent. More playful than comforting to my nose. I think if I got mainly honey musk and less plum, it would come across as a very snuggly, comforting teddy bear of a scent, but instead I'm getting images of tea parties and sunshine glistening on shiny, baby-fine curly hair. Dry down: This one's no morpher. It's mainly honeyed sugar plums with a hint of very delicated musk from start to finish, although it gets slightly more musky and sweet as it dries. The rose never does put in an appearance (which I'm eternally grateful for since it was the one note that would have been guaranteed to make this unwearable for me). I really like the feel of this one. It's cheerful and happy and child-like, but not so childish that it smells inappropriate on a grownup. I think you need to have the right personality to wear something like Comforting Plush Companion and wear it well, but I'm an eternal child at heart, so it's a "me" scent in that regard. The bottom line: My half bottle will be plenty, but I'm actually enjoying Comforting Plush Companion more than I expected. It's sweet and fruity and girly and innocent and everything that's the polar opposite of my "usual" perfumes, but it makes me happy to wear it. I'd like it more if the honey musk were stronger and the sugar plum a little less intense, but this one's a winner in spite of that. Maybe not a scent I'll wear every day, but it'll be good for the days when I want something that smells fun and innocent.

Hellcat is similar to Gluttony to my nose (both make me absolutely sick, TBH, because of the insane sweetness and richness), so I agree that layering Bliss with Hellcat could be a good way to get a fairly similar scent.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I never would have tried this one on my own, truth be told. I love the smell of rum and welcome it in perfumes, but ginger ale is one of those things that I like to drink (as long as it's Vernor's), but don't necessarily want to smell like. I'm also not a fan of orange scents. At all. Oranges taste delicious, but I don't want to smell like them. So it would be fair to say that I don't have high hopes for Polynesian Pop working for me, although I think it could be a really fun scent. First sniff: I'm consistently baffled by how uncannily realistic certain food/drink notes can be in BPAL's scents. This seriously smells like ginger ale. It's fizzy smelling. Seriously, it smells carbonated. It's not just ginger and sugar and syrup. It doesn't smell like flat pop. It smells like a freshly opened can of ginger ale mixed with just a touch of sweet rum. Wet on skin: Fizzy, sweet ginger ale and a touch of rum. I don't get any orange from Polynesian Pop at this point, which is good, because I'm kind of enjoying the smell of this. It's not really something I'd want to wear as perfume, I don't think, but it's fun and funky. The rum is definitely there, but it doesn't smell alcoholic. The overall impression is extra-sweet ginger ale. I have a feeling that my nieces and nephews would love this. Dry down: You don't get much more linear than this. There's no change once Polynesian Pop dries. It's still ginger ale with sweet white rum. The orange never does put in an appearance for me, which I'm happy about. There's virtually no throw on this one, but that's fine because I don't plan on wearing it, but I can see it being disappointing to someone who's actually wearing it instead of just sniffing the imp/bottle. This has to be one of the most mindlessly cheerful BPAL scents I've ever come across. It's the kind of scent that just dares you not to smile when you smell it, whether you'd want to actually wear it or not. The bottom line: I still wouldn't buy this one for myself, but I think I'll be keeping my two frimps because Polynesian Pop makes me smile. It's fun and goofy. And sometimes you need something like that, even if it's just a little vial of perfume that you can uncap and sniff when you're feeling down.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab (originally). I sold my original bottle and just repurchased one on LJ recently. Preconceived notions: I can't believe I never reviewed this one. I thought for sure I had, but it would appear not. This is one of those scents that sounds almost perfect except for one or two notes. In this case, it's the mandarin. I love eating oranges. I love fresh squeezed orange juice. But I don't like orange in my perfume. It's just not something I want to smell like. But, that being said, most other things in here are favorites of mine or things I like, with the exception of saffron (fine in small amounts but not so great in bigger doses) and tonka (hit or miss). First sniff: Straight out of the bottle, the orange is definitely putting in an appearance. It smells like spices, orange and a bit of chocolate and tobacco. I can see someone else who's a fan of orange scents finding this really appealing, but I'm not a huge fan of the scent in the bottle, truth be told. Wet on skin: The orange is even more prominent on my skin. It's a sweet orange scent. Not really juicy or bright. It's sweet and muted, almost like orange syrup mixed with dried orange peel. The cocoa, spices and tobacco are still here, too, and I get a touch of red musk, but it's mainly a sweet, soft, spicy orange scent. It makes me think of orange pekoe tea and expensive potpourri. And I know that makes it sound like it doesn't smell good as perfume, but it really does. It just doesn't appeal to me at this point. Dry down: I really like The Great Sword of War once it's dried. The orange finally mellows out once it dries and I'm left with a soft, musky tobacco, cocoa and red musk scent with a little bit of tonka thrown in for sweetness. It's a close to the skin scent, without a lot of throw, but it's lovely and sort of alluring. It's really not the sort of scent I'd associate with the Apocalypse or any of the Four Horsemen, especially War, but it smells good anyway. The bottom line: Once I get past the wet stage, I really enjoy The Great Sword of War. It's definitely a morpher on me. The bottle and wet scent are noticeably different than the drydown for me, which is the only reason I like it well enough to have a bottle. I'm not a fan of the sweet orange wet scent, but the red musky cocoa tobacco on the drydown is right up my alley. This is also one of those scents where the age of the oil has an effect on the smell. The Great Sword of War gets less orangey as it ages and the red musk, cocoa and tobacco come out more. Thankfully, that works for me since that's what I want, but it's something to keep in mind if you enjoy the orange stage. You may want to skip a bottle and just go with imps (so that you'll be able to keep a fresh supply on hand) if you like the orange/tonka notes in this one, unless you go through a bottle before it has a chance to age, anyway.

Origin: Decant from GhillieDhu. Preconceived notions: After trying and loving Mole, I really wanted to give Badger a shot, too. Like Mole, it sounds perfect for me, although I've been a little nervous about the roots for some inexplicable reason. Everything in here should be right up my alley, though, strange apprehensions aside. I love dirt scents (Graveyard Dirt almost made me pee my pants when it was released) as well as myrrh and cedar and I like galangal, too. First sniff: Why did I wait so long to try this one?! This smells incredibly good. It's unmistakably dirt-based, but it's softer and gentler than Graveyard Dirt. There's something sweetish and a little musty here, too, which I'm thinking is the roots because it reminds me strongly of Down the Rabbit Hole atmo spray (minus the flowers and marmalade). I don't really get any myrrh or cedar at this point. Just soft (both in terms of smell intensity and the impression of texture of the dirt itself that I get) dirt and roots. It's lovely. Wet on skin: Very similar to the scent in the decant but with the tiniest touch of cedar added. The dirt and roots are still the predominant players here. Like Mole, it's a soft scent, both in throw and in feel. Dry down: I love this so much! The cedar comes out a bit more as Badger dries and I'm left with a soft, warm dirt scent with sweet, musty roots and dry wood. This is much more wearable than Graveyard Dirt, which I've found tends to turn other people off, thanks to its in-your-face loamy dirtiness, but it's still very much an earthy scent. There's no mistaking that I smell like dirt, but it's a softer, more friendly dirt than is in the other similar scents I own. The bottom line: This is a beauty for a dirt lover like me. I do believe I've found a new favorite. The only sad part is that I missed out on buying a few bottles of Badger when it was released. I would have stockpiled it.

Origin: 5mL's from a few people. I can't believe I haven't reviewed this one yet. I guess it slipped through the cracks. Preconceived notions: Everything about Mole sounds ideal for me. I love sandalwood, I adore patchouli and I like moss very much. Plus, moles are adorable. First sniff: Lots of moss. Dry, a little crumbly, a little sweet. Grey green smelling somehow. I don't really get patchouli or sandalwood here, but I think that they're combining to add a soft, earthiness in back of the moss. This is a much gentler scent than you might expect. Wet on skin: Still predominately moss, but I start to get a little bit of patchouli when Mole hits my skin. It's still very much a grey green scent, but now it has a dusty brown vibe to it, too. It's still slightly sweet, for reasons I don't really understand, but it's an earthy sweetness, not a candy sweetness. Mole smells soft and gentle and somehow snuggly in a plantlike way. Which I'm sure makes no sense unless you're like me and like running your hands over moss on fallen trees. I'm strange, what can I say? Dry down: Soft and gentle. This is very much a "nature" scent, but it's much softer than most others I've tried. Moss stays on top the whole time, but the patchouli comes out more and more as Mole dries. It's not a headshop patchouli, instead it's a very soft, velvety brown earthiness supporting the soft greenness of the moss. It smells faded and well-loved somehow, like a teddy bear that's lost an eye and most of its fur through a life spent being snuggled. Take that impression of well-loved disrepair and apply it to a fallen tree and you've got Mole. Strange, I know, but that's the impression it gives me. The bottom line: I absolutely love Mole. It's a gorgeous mossy earthy scent, but it's far from typical for that type of blend. Most of my BPAL earth/moss/woods blends are fairly heavy and intense while Mole is soft and broken-in smelling. I feel safe and content wearing this one.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: This is one of those scents that has the potential to be incredible for me but that, for whatever reason, I overlooked for a long time. Patchouli, particularly the African variety, is my favorite note ever and I love amber as long as it doesn't turn to cat pee or baby powder on me (which it hasn't done for a long time, so that should be safe). Hyssop could go either way and the same goes for the embalming spices, but I'm willing to bet that the spices will be fine. First sniff: Lighter than I imagined it would be, but it is fresh, so it might get stronger with age. In the bottle, I get quite a bit of amber (it reminds me of The Lion in some ways), some very soft patchouli and an unidentifiable blend of herbs and spices that's so faint that it's nearly not there. Mainly, this is a soft, warm, sunbaked sort of earthy, resinous scent. I really like it, although I wish it was stronger. Wet on skin: Yay, it's stronger on me than in the bottle! It's amazing how fast skin chemistry can affect something like this. I get a lot of amber still, some very nice, earthy patchouli (which I'm sure will age gorgeously) and the faintest touch of herbs and spices. It's similar to The Lion if you added patchouli. Luckily, The Lion is a favorite of mine and I adore patchouli, so I'm happy. Dry down: OMG, yum. This is instant favorite material and if it's this good fresh, I can't wait to see how amazing it is aged. Still strongly amber and patchouli-based (again, it's a close relative of The Lion, only with an earthiness to it and a faint touch of herbs added). This is a warm scent, but earthy rather than bright and citrusy or red and spicy the way so many other warm scents are. It doesn't remind me of sand so much as it does sunbaked earth. It doesn't really smell like dirt, exactly, though. It just has the patchouli giving it that earthy edge. And it's gorgeous. The bottom line: Patchouli haters may be well-advised to avoid this one, although I find the patchouli unoffensive and gentle, rather than aggressively earthy and musty. It's a gorgeous scent, though, and I'm in love with Mr. Jacquel. He's going to have a nice, cozy home in my favorites box. ETA: I was right about aging. Mr. Jacquel is almost 6 months old now and much stronger than it was before. The scent is even more beautiful, too. It's become one of my three "default" scents (along with Anne Bonny and Sin) that I wear when nothing in particular sounds god or I don't want to be bothered with going through the process of figuring out what I want to wear. Love it!

ETA: Apparently resting for a day can make a big difference, because WILF smells noticeably different today than it did yesterday (when I wrote my initial review and set it aside for posting after the New Year's chaos was over). I'm definitely getting the Snake Oil comparisons now. I'll be updating the review in a bit since I'm currently giving WILF another round of testing. Origin: 5mL from the Lab. I got the male label. Preconceived notions: This is one of those blends that I can't wrap my mind around. I'm really not sure what this is going to smell like, but I'm willing to give it a shot because most of the notes are good ones for me. Some I haven't smelled before but sound good. The only ones I'm concerned about are the juniper (it can be too astringent for me) and the champaca flower (as far as flowers go, it's one of the better ones, but I'm not a floral fan). First sniff: My WILF hasn't had a chance to settle yet, so I'll update if any of this changes once it's had a chance to rest for a while. This smells very similar to Helping Hand (TAL) in the bottle, only lighter. It took me forever to figure out what WILF was reminding me of, but eventually everything clicked into place. It smells like musky earth mixed with mint chocolate, just like Helping Hand, only WILF is lighter on the mint. I'm thinking that it reminds me of another scent, but I can't place that one yet. Earthy mint chocolate sounds unappealing, I imagine, but it honestly smells good. I've always liked the smell of Helping Hand, so WILF's working for me at this point. Now that WILF has had a chance to settle, sniffing out of the bottle gives me a scent that's in the same family as Snake Oil and Snake Charmer (and the Snake Pit scents, too, of course). It's definitely a musky scent, but a sweet musky scent. I'm getting red musk, something akin to Ivanushka's furry musk, vanilla and a tiny bit of mint. Wet on skin: Smoother and lighter than I expected. Like I said, I didn't know what WILF would smell like, but I was expecting a heavier, darker scent than this. It's kind of creamy (the vanilla, no doubt), a little musky (light and soft, but not powdery) and just a little bit earthy. There's just the lightest touch of flowers here, but they're very faint and inoffensive, even to my anti-floral nose. Mmm, I like this! It smells quite a bit like Snake Charmer if you took out the plum and added in mint chocolate and a little bit of juniper. This is clearly a musk blend now, and a lovely one at that. It's still not heavy or dark as I was originally expecting (although I think that will change somewhat with aging, since red musk always gets richer and more intense as it ages). Dry down: WILF is a quick change artist on me (at least at this point). At times, it's very reminiscent to a combination of Helping Hand, a bit of Spooky (with the sweet cookie portion toned down) and just a touch of Snow White (creaminess) and at other times it's a creamy, slightly coconut-like scent with a bit of juniper and a touch of musk. No more quick changes! WILF is staying stable now that it's settled and the drydown has completely lost its similarities to Spooky and Snow White. It's still a bit like Helping Hand, but Helping Hand mixed with Snake Oil (and with the earthiness tuned down). I wouldn't call this a foody scent in spite of the mint chocolate and vanilla. It doesn't really smell like cookies, unless you took Grasshoppers, crumbled them up and dropped them in a vat of red musk with just the tiniest pinch of wood thrown in for good measure. It sounds like a strange combination, but it's really working. The bottom line: WILF is an unusual scent and I'm thinking (based on the reviews) that it's one of those ones that are highly dependent on skin chemistry. I personally would have loved to have gotten more musk out of WILF (particularly red musk, which I'm crazy about), but I like the actual smell just fine, too. I'm glad I got a bottle, but one should be plenty for me. I still think that WILF is going to be dependent on skin chemistry because of the sheer amount of notes here (which some people are undoubtedly going to amp or play down), but at least my experience is much closer to everyone else's at this point. I'm really enjoying WILF now. Even more than I did before it had settled. I absolutely love red musk and I'm on a bit of a kick at the moment, so I'm appreciating the muskiness that WILF has to offer. I think this one is going to age beautifully. BPAL musk scents almost always do, especially Snake Oil-type red musk scents. I'm going to guess that I'll be good with one bottle since I have so many bottles of Snake Oil, Snake Charmer and various Snake Pit blends, but I may end up getting a backup now that the musk has come out to play.

Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: This is only the second of the 13 blends that I've tried. The other was the original version, which I didn't care for. I've been waffling on trying this one because it sounds like it could be good or could go really, really wrong on me. I've learned fairly recently that BPAL's dark chocolate is amazing on me, so that gives me some hope, as do the raw vanilla (sounds awesome), black incense and resins (I'm an incense/resin fiend). The herbs should be fine and the prune should be okay, too, but the flowers have me a bit worried since I'm a floral hater. Truth be told, I'm having a hard time envisioning what this is going to smell like, but I'm excited to try it. The label art is awesome, too. Love the tentacles. First sniff: Unique! This is definitely not something you'd find in a department store or drugstore. This is the essence of BPAL to me. A strange combination of scents that somehow works. I couldn't tell you what's in this without the notes in front of me, other than to say that I smell chocolate quite strongly, along with a touch of vanilla (it's not a candy vanilla, though, it really does smell more like vanilla beans/pods) and...something else. The background is completely impossible for me to tease apart. I don't smell resins/incense, florals or herbs. I just smell a sort of dark, swirling scent that's impossible for me to classify. It smells kind of like what I imagine the witch's house from Hansel and Gretel might smell like...only without the gingerbread. Wet on skin: This reminds me a bit of Dia De Los Muertos, which I suppose isn't that surprising since they both have chocolate and a mish-mash of other notes that could smell similar. I like this more than DDLM on me, though. 13 is darker, stronger on the cocoa and much lighter on the florals, but the feel is similar. The chocolate note is what's making me compare them, I think. Both have a chocolate scent that's not just chocolate. There's something else backing it up that's vaguely fruity, just a little bit floral and slightly herbal. It's hard to describe but pretty in an offbeat way. I like it better in 13 than I do in DDLM, though. Dry down: The drydown on this 13 seems to depend on how heavily I apply it. If I apply with a very light hand, I get quite a bit of vanilla (a true vanilla that smells like the real deal, not a candy vanilla) and not a lot else. If I apply more heavily, I get mostly chocolate with that indefinable background from the bottle and wet stages. It's kind of fruity (but not in a juicy way), kind of herbal and a little bit dry, dusty and resinous. I don't think this is a scent you can really explain. You need to smell it to understand, because there's so much going on here and it's so discordant (and yet everything works together). The bottom line: This is one of those weird, complex scents that screams "BPAL!" to me. It's unique and strangely pretty. I really like it, but it's not something I'd wear every day. A huge improvement over the original 13 to my nose, although I know that the original was a big hit with some people. I have a feeling that if I were to try every version in the 13 series, this would be my favorite of the bunch, although I can't prove that since I've only tried two.

Not going out anywhere tonight, so I just picked something that sounded good. Twice. I'm wearing The Black Rider on my wrists and then Panther Moon on the top of my hands since I had to test it (smelled too good in the tester to not put some on). They actually smell quite nice together.

Origin: Tester from Dark Alice. Preconceived notions: Panther Moon sounds like it could be an instant perma-fave scent for me. Everything in here other than the anise is perfect and, from the reviews, it sounds like it could be absolutely amazing on me. I'm terrified that the anise is going to ruin it, but I'm so excited about trying this that it's ridiculous. I'm almost hoping I hate it because I can't seem to find a bottle for sale anywhere and I missed out on its release during my BPAL hiatus. I'm kicking myself for not having come back just a little earlier. First sniff: Gloriously dark and incensey. This smells like the inside of a mixed box of incense, heavy on the nag champa, mixed with deep, dark black musk. It's instant nostalgia (it reminds me of the best of my college years) and instant love. If it smells as good on me as it does in the tester, then Panther Moon may become my most coveted, "must acquire" scent. Wet on skin: I can't pick out many of the notes here. To me, Panther Moon just smells gloriously incensey. It really does smell like the inside of an incense chest. That heady mix of different resins that pushes all my buttons in the best possible way. The primary scent here is nag champa. And strong nag champa at that. I've heard that it's one of those love it or hate it incense scents and I happen to love it. I also get some black musk and maybe a little bit of myrrh, but mainly it's nag champa. Musky nag champa. And it's glorious. Dry down: This is some strong perfume! I love that! Very, very close to the tester/wet scent. The only difference is that I get a bit of spice (ginger and just the tiniest touch of anise) on the drydown. Panther Moon is still incense heaven, mixed with dark musk, but now with a touch of spice. The bottom line: This is so good I could cry. It's everything I've ever wanted in a headshop incense scent and more. I'm in stinky hippie incense heaven. I've been waiting for a scent like this. And I can't find a bottle to save my life. Which seems to be the way it goes with me.

Origin: 5mL from spiresinthesnow. Preconceived notions: I've had my eye on this one for a while now and kept putting off trying it. Everything in here other than the leather should be a nearly guaranteed win (unless the amber turns to baby powder). Leather is an iffy note for me, though. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I love it and sometimes it makes me a little sick (which I assume is because I stopped buying leather for moral reasons years ago and the smell weirds me out at times). The Black Rider has the potential to be perfect for me, though, so I'm looking forward to trying it. First sniff: Tobacco, soft leather and a tiny touch of amber. It's not the usual amber note that I get from the Lab, though. It's definitely a darker scent, in terms of feeling, rather than actual smell. I like the darkness of this scent. It's not dark the same way vetiver and resins can be. Instead it's sort of gloomy and mysterious. Wet on skin: The leather puts in more of an appearance once it hits my skin. It's a soft leather, suede-like and old, not fresh, new and shiny. It's not like Dead Man's Hand, though. Worn-in, but not dried out and cracked. I still get plenty of tobacco and amber, too, and just a touch of resin. I love this. It's gender neutral, soft and lovely. Dry down: Sweeter and more blended. I still get all the notes, but everything swirls together to make a scent that's dark and mysterious but soft, like well-worn velvet. The tobacco and leather are the main players here, but the soft amber puts in a strong background appearance. The resin is very faint. I absolutely love this. The bottom line: I'm so glad I tried this one. It turned out to be an instant favorite and I see it getting a lot of wear. I think it would smell awesome on my husband, too, but he's not much of a scent-wearer and I'm keeping this one all for myself.

I don't find them similar at all. Grass smells like...well, grass. It's a very strong, green, fresh-cut grass scent with a bit of herbalness to me. Boy, I'm turning into the comparison naysayer here.

Origin: 5mL from MotherKat. Preconceived notions: There was a time not so long ago that any scent with coffee in it was an instant "no" for me. I wouldn't even try them (unless they came my was lagniappe and even then it was iffy). But lately I've been finding that coffee scents can work and work well on me and I'm much more open-minded about trying them as long as the other notes are ones that work for me. But I'm still a little nervous about Velvet Dogs Playing Poker. I think my hesitation is as much about the tonka as it is the coffee. Tonka's had the potential to go very wrong on me lately for reasons I don't understand, so I get a little gun-shy around it. But Velvet Dogs sounds good in spite of the potential for disaster and I'm looking forward to trying it in spite of my reservations. First sniff: Dusty wood, coffee and smoke. This is going to sound like an insult, but it's not, I swear. Velvet Dogs makes me think of the VFW hall my grandpa spent all his free time in when I was little. It always smelled like smoke, coffee and old wood with an overlay of dust. And as strange as it must sound, it's not a bad scent at all. This is a nostalgic scent for me in the bottle, although I'm sure that not everyone would find it appealing. Wet on skin: Harsh, smoky coffee (slightly scorched smelling, like it's been in the pot too long), dusty wood and smoke. It's very similar to the bottle scent, but just a little more rough around the edges. I genuinely like this, although I can definitely see my husband turning his nose up at it. That's par for the course with the scents I like, though, generally. We have very different tastes in scent. Dry down: Velvet Dogs smooths out quite nicely as it dries down. The scorched, stale coffee smell is gone, the smoke has sweetened considerably and I'm left with a nice, sweet pipe smoke (a combination of tonka and the sweet, smooth scent of burning pipe tobacco), coffee and wood scent. It's still slightly dusty, but nowhere near as much as when it's wet. I don't get the Irish part of the Irish coffee in this. I don't smell Bailey's and I don't smell whiskey (which rules out both types) and instead I just get regular coffee. It's a fairly masculine scent, but definitely not unwearable for a woman (obviously, since I'm wearing and enjoying it). The bottom line: I really like this! Another coffee scent winner. I think I may be a convert. In the hierarchy of my newly-discovered favorite BPAL coffee scents, Velvet Dogs Playing Poker ranks below The Arabian Dance and Misk U v3 and above Misk U. It's fairly different than any of them, though, thanks to the addition of the wood and pipe smoke. Definitely a keeper, although I'm fairly sure that it's not going to be a scent that everyone around me enjoys. That's business as usual with my preferred scents, though.

I also don't get any vetiver at all from Jungle. And I really like vetiver. Jungle's a sort of non-descript fruity green scent to me.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I originally passed on this because the coffee and hazelnut scared me (and leather is hit or miss; sometimes I love it and sometimes it makes me a little queasy). I can't stand the smell of coffee, but I'm learning that BPAL's coffee scents can and sometimes do work for me, so I softened that stance after trying (and really) liking both Miskatonic University and Miskatonic University v3. I also hate nut scents, but as long as the hazelnut isn't overpowering, I think it'll be fine. First sniff: Whoa, coffee! Seriously, this is ground coffee plus a bit of leather. It's dark and almost smoky and surprisingly appealing to a coffee hater like me. I love the darkness of this in the bottle. Wet on skin: Identical to the bottle scent. Deep, dark coffee and a little bit of leather. It's a little bit smoky, a little bit leathery and a lot of coffee. It makes me think of well-worn leather chairs in someone's personal library, mixed with the smell of fresh-brewed coffee and unbrewed ground coffee bits. Dry down: Oh, this is good. This is really, really good. I can see why people are going crazy for The Arabian Dance now. I agree that this is the leather note from Spanked, but I don't find them very similar otherwise. The Arabian Dance (on me), is soft, smoky leather, dark, rich coffee and just a touch of spice and tobacco. It's a dark, serious blend. And I love it! The bottom line: I thought I might like this, given my changing attitude toward coffee, but I didn't think it was going to be a favorite. Well...it is. I had to order a few more bottles because this one's going to be one of those scents I wear year 'round.

Invasion of the Flesh-Eating Reindeer for Christmas Eve. Christmas day is going to be The Arabian Dance, which smells amazing in the bottle. Hopefully it smells just as awesome on me! We'll find out in the morning!

Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: This one intrigues me, but it has the potential to go wrong on me. Leather is a hit or miss note for me (since I stopped wearing leather years ago, the smell of it can sometimes make me a little queasy) and metal is generally not so great on me. But labdanum is generally good (although I couldn't explain what it smells like) and myrrh is always good. I'm more hopeful because of the reviews than I am because of the listed notes. I love patchouli and I like vetiver quite a bit, too, although I seem to be the only person I know who does, so I don't wear it as often as I'd like. It took me a while to track down Kroenen, but I had to get a bottle when the opportunity to get it cheap presented itself. First sniff: I smell vetiver very strongly here, but based on my experience with Priala, I'm thinking that it might just be the myrrh I'm smelling. There's apparently one kind of myrrh that smells very similar to vetiver to my nose. Kroenen is ashy, dark and slightly earthy right out of the bottle. It's right up my alley, but I can see my family being repelled by it at this point. Not that that would stop me from wearing it. It would just mean that I wouldn't wear it all the time or at family gatherings. Wet on skin: Strong vetiver/myrrh at first and then a metallic, almost chemical note creeps in. It's strange and oddly menacing smelling, although I can't pin down why it feels that way to me. Kroenen is truly weird at this point. It reminds me almost of Geek mixed with Bed of Nails with a dash of Tarot: Death thrown in for good measure. Dry down: Kroenen is a morpher. No doubt about it. As it dries, the leather slowly amps up until it's a dominant part of the scent. It's an unusual leather, too, almost oily or greasy smelling...motor oil or heavy black grease, but very faint. I also get that strange, almost chemical metal scent (I think it may be the metal combining with the leather that I'm smelling), but it's much fainter at this point. The myrrh (or vetiver) is still there, but it's hiding behind the leather, adding a strange smokiness. The bottom line: I like Kroenen a lot, but it's definitely a strange scent. It feels weirdly foreboding somehow, but in a good way. Very evocative, although not evocative of pleasant things (unless you're into weird, probably painful experiments and men in leather masks, which some people are). I love BPAL's offbeat, creepy scents and this definitely fits the bill. I don't think I'll be wearing Kroenen to any family gatherings, but it's earned a place in my collection for sure.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab (which is awesome since it was on my list of scents to try). Preconceived notions: This one scares me a little. I love patchouli with a passion and I like musk (never tried indigo musk, but it sounds intriguing), plum and benzoin. The rose geranium and jasmine scare me, though. I hate florals and jasmine has been known to give me migraines. I'm really hoping this leans more toward the musk and benzoin end and away from the florals. First sniff: What a weird scent. I definitely smell musk, but it's not like any musk I can remember smelling before. It's soft, slightly powdery and kind of fuzzy (or maybe feathery, which would be appropriate). It's unique and I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. I swear I'm also smelling pennyroyal (or mint; it's minty, but not like a true mint), even though it's not listed in the notes. I'm not really getting much of anything other than pennyroyal-ish musk. Wet on skin: Powdery, dusty, kind of fluffy musk (it really does smell kind of dark blue to me, but I think that's the power of suggestion) and even stronger pennyroyal/mint. I have no clue where that's coming from. I'm not sure what rose geranium smells like (roses?), so I guess that could be it. I don't get any rose like other people seem to be getting, which is a really good thing. Dry down: This was just okay during the wet and bottle stages but I really like it on the drydown. It takes a while, but The Night-Raven turns into a medium-dark musk scent with just a touch of patchouli. It's still a bit powdery, but maybe powdery isn't the right word. Fluffy, maybe? It reminds me of dusty feathers, actually, but that might be the power of suggestion. The bottom line: The Night-Raven is a really unique scent. I don't think I've ever smelled anything quite like it and I definitely don't own anything similar to it. I think this one might be one of those scents where skin chemistry plays a big part in how it smells, because I'm not getting the same sort of scent that other people are getting. And I'm glad about that, because rose soap would be made of fail.

Origin: Imp from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I love patchouli, oakmoss and mushroom, but I'm not totally sure how I feel about fig. I'm thinking that it's one of those scents that I'm learning to love, but I've had some bad experiences with fig in the past, so I'm hoping that this isn't another fig-induced failure. First sniff: Definitely fig. It's a slightly earthy scent, but the main player is definitely fig. It's fruity but not fresh or juicy. It reminds me of dried figs and it actually smells really good. It's hard to tease out the oakmoss, patchouli and mushroom here since they're being overpowered by OMG FIG, but they're in there, lurking and adding a bit of depth. Wet on skin: This one's no morpher. I get the same deep and slightly earthy fig. It's a dark scent, very intense. Dry down: There's not really much to say that hasn't been said. This is exactly the same for me, from imp to drydown. And I really like it. I think I actually may be coming to love the Lab's fig note (as long as it's combined with other notes that I like). I'm not much of a fruity scent fan, but fig really works for me. I guess it's time to stop being afraid of scents that include it. The bottom line: I really like this one. I was worried I was going to hate the fruitiness of the fig, but it turns out that this one's a real winner. I just ordered a bottle and I see it getting plenty of wear.

Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: I've been waffling on this one ever since I came back to the Land of BPAL (which is a magical place with patchouli-scented kittens and marshmallow unicorns; a lot of fun for the whole family, as long as the whole family is open-minded). From the notes, this sounds like it could be one of those rare foody scents that I really love, although the berry cream has me worried (if it's raspberry or blackberry, I'll be happy, but something like strawberry would be bad). It's the reviews that have me the most concerned. I can't stand the smell of lemon, so if Left His Nurse is indeed heavy on the lemon, this is going to be an epic fail. First sniff: Chocolate cake (and milk chocolate frosting) with just a hint of cream and fruit. I couldn't tell you what kind of berry this is. It's just...berry. It smells nice, whatever it is. I don't think it's strawberry, but it's so faint that it's hard to tell. I don't smell any tea yet. I could be getting some musk, but mainly it's chocolate cake and frosting. Wet on skin: Lemon! Seriously, the second Left His Nurse touches my skin I get assaulted with a full-on onslaught of lemony evil. It's not lemon poundcake (which wouldn't be so bad; I can tolerate the smell of things like lemon poppyseed and orange cake). It's just lemon. Bright, tart lemon. And it's strong. I hate it when an unlisted note that I hate pops up and ruins an otherwise good scent. I can still smell some of the chocolate cake and frosting underneath, but it's being overwhelmed unless I sniff right up against my skin (getting a noseful of citrus in the process). If you're a citrus fan, I'm sure you'd think this was lovely. I, however, am not a citrus fan. Dry down: The lemon has mostly calmed down now, but I can still smell it, mixing with the chocolate cake, frosting and (finally) a small bit of black tea. The berry disappeared, never to be heard from again after its appearance in the bottle. The musk, however, is here. But I only really notice it because I know it's there. It's low key and sticks close to my skin, making this scent just a touch less foody and more grown-up. The bottom line: I actually like Left His Nurse quite a bit once the lemon backs down, although I'd really prefer if there wasn't any lemon at all. I may end up wearing this in a scent locket, since I don't smell the lemon until it hits my skin. But then I'll be sacrificing the musk, since I don't smell it in the bottle, either. I'll probably end up wearing this both ways. On the skin for the musk and in the locket if I'm not feeling tolerant of the citrus of doom. Edit: Typing fail.

Origin: 5mL from occurs. Preconceived notions: I love incense. Any kind of incense, but especially incense that makes me think of a church or a headshop. Cypress should be fine, too. The only thing that worries me here here is the blood. I'm not a fan of the scent of blood (or of the scent of metallics, for that matter, and blood has a coppery smell). Even if it were dragon's blood, it would be iffy, since I tend to think dragon's blood smells like a cross between flowers and cherry syrup. So I'm hoping for the best, but I'm prepared for Valentine of Rome to possibly go wrong on me. First sniff: Clove?! No...carnation. That's all I'm smelling here and it...is...strong. There's no clove or carnation listed in the notes on this, so either I'm misinterpreting something here or it's just one of those unlisted notes that come up in BPAL scents now and then. I see that voodoocatwoman also got clove, so I guess it's not just me, although I tend to think that this is carnation (and a very strong carnation at that), that I'm smelling. It reminds me of another BPAL scent, but I can't place it just yet. Wet on skin: Spicy carnation. Straight up. It reminds me a bit of Clemence and a bit of my experimental blend (which smells like pure spicy carnation to me and reminds me of Lush's Potion/Ruby Red Slippers). And it's not working for me at this point. Carnation is sometimes okay, but it tends to give me a headache. Dry down: I'm finally getting some dry incense here, but mostly I'm still getting super strong, spicy carnation. I don't get any cypress. I don't get any blood. I get spicy florals and a bit of incense. And a headache. The bottom line: I was hoping this would work, but expecting it to be wrong for me in some way, but not for it to go wrong like this. Maybe my nose is broken and there's no carnation (or clove) in this, but that's virtually all I can smell. I guess Valentine will be moving onto a new home since it's not working for me. And I'll continue my search for new resin/incense blends to add to my collection.

Origin: 1/2 5mL bought on Livejournal. Preconceived notions: I passed the Nutcracker by when making my Christmas order because of the fig. Fig is an iffy note for me (as are pretty much all fruit notes, if they're not outright dealbreakers), but I love all things resinous and incensey, so I caved when a half bottle came up for sale. I'm really hoping that the fig is either virtually unnoticeable in this or that it ends up blending so much with the incense notes that it doesn't smell like actual fruit. I do think that this one could be a real winner, if the fig behaves itself. First sniff: Mmm, incense! Church incense, to be exact. It's resinous, slightly dry and slightly sweet. It reminds a little bit of Cathedral, but without the cedar note that Cathedral has to it. It's also somewhat green smelling (the galbanum, I'm sure). Almost like very fresh sap or snapped green twigs. It's a beautiful scent. Deep and dark, but also somewhat fresh smelling. Incense lovers are going to like this one a lot, I think. Wet on skin: Lots of frankincense and a little galbanum. It's a very dry resin blend and not sweet at all on me. This stage reminds me less of Cathedral and more of Midnight Mass. It has a similar sap-like note to it, under the dry frankincense. I still don't get any fig at this point, which is fine by me. Dry down: This is really nice once it's dry. Still predominately incense, dry and ever-so-slightly peppery/spicy. I do get a bit of fig at this point...or at least what I think is the fig. It's very slightly sweet, but not really fruity. Instead I just get a dark, rich, sweetness that blends nicely with the frankincense and galbanum. This makes me think of the Tarot blends for some reason. It's not a Christmas-type scent to me, really. It's deep, dark and mysterious smelling with a nice smoothness from the fig. It still makes me think of churches, but also of dimly lit occult stores, velvet curtains and incene smoke. The bottom line: I'm really enjoying this one and I'll almost definitely buy another bottle or two. I'm glad I gave into my BPAL-related impulsiveness. For some reason the vast majority of the spur of the moment, "never appealed to me before now" scents I buy end up being winners. Evidently, my id knows more about my taste in scents than the conscious parts of my mind do.