Penance

Origin: Decant as lagniappe. Preconceived notions: Sounds similar to Centzon Totochtin to me. And maybe a bit like Calaveras, depending on what spices we're talking about (hot, spicy spices or something more like cinnamon instead...I'm not sure what spices are native to central Mexico). I'm really wondering about the maize note in this. That's a new one for me, I think. Could be good or bad...or neutral, really. First sniff: In the imp, it does, indeed, smell like a relative of Centzon Totochtin. Cocoa, fruit and spice. But I'm getting more spices in this. They're not hot, spicy spices. I'm not sure what they are, but they make me think of cinnamon and clove, pepper and allspice. They're baking spices, not cooking spices. I smell the wine here, too, but it's a bit fainter than in Centzon. It's almost berry-like and tart. I could be convinced that it's some sort of tart berry rather than wine at this point. Wet on skin: As soon as this hits my skin, the wine note instantly jumps to the top, although I still get chocolate and spice. It's indeed a very tart, berry-like wine, but definitely alcoholic (or fermented, take your pick) at this point. It's very similar to Centzon Totochtin at this point (and nothing like Calaveras, other than the shared cocoa note), but this is more tart. Wine notes are iffy at best on me most of the time, but this one seems to work, probably because of the tartness. It's almost like cranberry or unripe raspberries. Dry down: The wine note continues to dominate as The Feast For the Greatly Revered Ones dries, but the cocoa and spices still manage to make themselves known. Honestly, it's stronger on the wine than I'd really like, although I do like the sourness of it. It still smells like unripe berries or cranberry, but with that very unique "wine" smell to it that I find so hard to describe. The maize never does make an appearance here, which disappoints me a little. I was looking forward to smelling it in a perfume. The bottom line: I like this in the imp and it's nice enough on me, but not really my sort of scent. I'm not a big fan of the smell of wine (although I love most other boozy notes, with the exception of gin), so that kind of kills it for me. I do like the "Mexican hot chocolate" vibe I get from the rest of this, though. I'll most likely hold onto my decant, but I won't be needing a bottle of this.

That's strange. I don't find Cathedral and An Altar similar at all, other than the shared cedar (I'm positive they share a cedar note since it's the same slightly sweet, rich wood in both). I Cathedral (it's my go-to, default scent) and I like An Altar, but they're pretty different on me. An Altar is sharp and almost astringent cedar (although I can smell that Cathedral cedar sweetness in the background), while Cathedral is resinous, dry and slightly sweet in comparison. Aged Cathedral is also much tamer in the cedar department, but I also have fresh and they still don't smell the same to me. I guess our noses are different.

Origin: Partial 5mL from beachbabealways. Preconceived notions: I'm a big fan of heavy wood fragrances and I'm also one of those weirdos who likes things that smell like rotting wood and dirt, so this should be a winner, especially since I also love the smell of cognac and like the Lab's brimstone note. First sniff: Ooh, this one's not going to appeal to too many people, I don't think. But I really like it! Straight out of the bottle, I definitely get the mahogany and rot. It actually smells more like redwood to me than mahogany (I have a bottle of Redwood single note and they smell quite similar). If you took my beloved Redwood and let it decompose in a forest somewhere, it would smell quite a bit like The Forbidding Foyer. Wet on skin: At first, this is very, very heavy on the rot note (which I'm sure will put a lot of people off, but not me) and then it starts smelling more and more like a combination of very heavy, deep, decomposing wood and a hint of musk, even though there's none noted in the description. I don't get any brimstone here (nothing smells charrred or gritty) and no cognac, either, although that could just be because the decomposing wood scent is so strong. Dry down: Once The Forbidding Foyer finally dries down completely, the "rot" part subsides quite a bit and I'm left with a strong, almost earthy wood note (which still smells like my Redwood single note to my nose), musk (it reminds me a bit of The Lurid Library) and the tiniest hint of something that could be cognac in the very, very far background. This is a strong scent, too. I put on a very small dab to test and can still smell it after taking a shower. The bottom line: I really like this! I'm sure it's not for everyone and that my mom (if I were to ask her) would say that it smells dirty and musty (which aren't good things in her book), but that's what I like about it. I love all things dark, forgotten and woody smelling, so The Forbidding Foyer is definitely my sort of scent. I may have to pick up another bottle, although I think my first will last a long time, considering the strength of the scent and the fact that it's not necessarily a scent I'd wear every day (I tend to wear more "other people friendly" scents a lot of days and reserve my "perfect for me, but not so great to other people" scents for times when I'm not going to be around a lot of other people who might not appreciate my taste in perfume).

Origin: I originally got a decant of this from Tuesday and was intrigued enough to track down a bottle. So I have both a decant and a bottle now. Preconceived notions: I'm not sure what to expect from this one. It's such a strange combination of notes that I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around what they'll smell like, aside from expecting chocolate, dirt and...fire? First sniff: Definitely a unique scent. Straight out of the imp, I get cocoa, coconut and something woody and earthy. It's a strange combination, but I tend to like strange combinations, so that's not a bad thing. Wet on skin: Out of the imp: I have a really hard time applying this one from the imp. The cocoa separates from the rest of the oil and doesn't want to reincorporate totally. It looks blended in the vial, but when I try to apply it to my skin, the cocoa slides off the wand and all I'm left with is the other components. When I apply it this way, I get a dirty coconut scent. Like someone ground dried coconut flakes into the dirt, along with an unsmoked cigarette. I know that has to sound unappealing, but, as someone who loves the smell of dirt and tobacco, it's not. Out of the bottle: I had a feeling that applying from the bottle would give me the full effect of PWDT and I was right. The cocoa mixes in just fine in the bottle and I get a very interesting scent. It's definitely cocoa (not like a chocolate bar, more like the cocoa powder you use in baking) mixed with charred-smelling dirt and coconut. I don't really smell the tobacco or resins at this point. Dry down: Out of the imp: Basically the same as the wet stage. It's a dirty coconut (more coconut than dirt, with a sweetness to it that's a bit strange) scent with just a touch of tobacco. I think it's interesting, but I also don't really think I'd wear this too much, mainly because of the strange sweetness (it's turning my stomach just a tiny bit), but also because it's just a really weird scent and, while I'm a fan of weird scents, I'm not sure how well it works for me as a perfume. I enjoy it on its own (for its strangeness and because I enjoy all the notes I'm smelling separately), but as a personal scent, I don't think it's working that well on me. Out of the bottle:[/b] Much better. The key here is definitely to make sure that the cocoa is incorporated. When applied from the bottle (with a wand), I get dirty cocoa (like someone took some dry dirt and mixed it in with the cocoa powder), a hint of spanish moss (if you've never smelled spanish moss, it's a dry, dusty sort of green scent, not fresh and springy), a strong undercurrent of coconut (dried flakes, not fresh fruit) and just a hint of burnt wood. It's a sweet scent (bordering on cloying, but not sugary or foody) but dirty at the same time. The resins never do make an appearance as far as I can tell, but I don't think they'd really make that big a difference here even if they did, honestly. The bottom line: This is definitely a unique scent. Very much what I expect from BPAL. I really do like it and will definitely keep my bottle, though I don't think it's going to be a scent I reach for on a regular basis.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Leather can be a tricky note for me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. And a lot of the time I'm indifferent. But I still had to try Shrunken Heads because it sounds like it could be pretty awesome. First sniff: Well, this isn't quite what I was expecting. I get very little leather from this, straight out of the bottle. Instead I get what has to be the jungle ferns. It's very green. Verdant and lush smelling. It reminds me, in some weird and indefinable way, of Mistletoe. Yeah, I don't get it, either. Wet on skin: Still very little leather. Mostly, this is really strong green plant life. And it's really nice! I don't know quite how to explain what the jungle ferns smell like other than to say that they're a very rich green. It's not a yellow-green and it's not a dark green. It's a bright, rich, emerald green sort of smell. It still reminds me of Mistletoe for some reason. Granted, Mistletoe has a piney sort of smell to it that Shrunken Heads is lacking, but if you took away the pine and snow notes from Mistletoe, it would smell an awful lot like the ferns in this. To me, anyway. Dry down: I finally get something that's probably the leather once Shrunken Heads dries down. It's similar to The Buggre Alle This Bible (again, to me, anyway) in that it has a similar, strange fruitiness to it. The ferns are still the dominant scent here, though. This one's very hard to describe. And very different than what I was anticipating. I'd call this gender neutral, but leaning strongly toward the masculine side. Luckily, I tend to prefer more masculine scents, so this works for me. The bottom line: Unique. Definitely unique. Very green. I like this.

Origin: 5mL bought on LiveJournal. Preconceived notions: Looks like this isn't a very popular scent, probably because of the vetiver. I'll never understand why people are afraid of (or hate) vetiver. Seriously. It smells good! Unfortunately, I have to limit the times I wear vetiver-heavy scents since even my family doesn't care for it. But anyway, I'm thinking this one will be a winner for me since I'm one of the elite few who love the evilness that it vetiver. I also love red sandalwood (one of my favorite notes) and I like coconut, tonka and black currant. Oude is a new one for me, I think. So we'll have to see about that. First sniff: Vetiver! Lots of it, too. I'm not surprised by that at all, since I already read the reviews and the description does mention it. This, like all vetiver-heavy blends, strikes me as a distant cousin of Tarot: Death. They share the same aggressively dark, ashy scent, but Fuwu (or Fuwa; that's what my bottle says, too) has some smooth, almost creamy coconut in the background as well as just a touch of tonka's sweetness. Wet on skin: Mainly vetiver, but with a bit of sweet coconut. I don't really get any red sandalwood (which makes me sad), but it could be that it's meshing with the vetiver. I don't get any black currant here and I'm not sure if I smell the oude or not since I don't remember ever coming across it before (so I have nothing to compare this to on that front). Dry down: As Fuwu/Fuwa dries, I get a lot more coconut. It reminds me a bit of Brown Jenkins in that regard, but with vetiver substituted for the incense. The vetiver is still making its presence known, but this is one of the tamer vetiver blends I've come across. The coconut and tonka make for a sweet, slightly creamy foreground with the ashy, gritty vetiver lurking behind it. It sounds like an odd combination but I like it! I think I could potentially wear this one around my family without them thinking I stink, although I doubt they'd actually like it much. The bottom line: If you hate vetiver, you'd probably be wise to avoid this one. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth a shot. And, of course, if you love it like I do, then definitely indulge. This one's unique. I don't think I've ever smelled another scent quite like it. ETA: My typo. Let me fix it.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on eBay. Preconceived notions: Storyville is my white whale. I've been searching for it since it was first released (a little over four and a half years) and had almost given up hope on ever finding so much as a tester. So I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified to try this. It has the potential to either be my greatest BPAL moment ever or to break my heart into a million tiny little pieces. Scent-wise, I'm expecting something musky rich with vanilla, spice, maybe some chocolate and booze. And I'm expecting that scent combination to be amazing. First sniff: This smells like BPAL. I mean that in the sense that it smells like what I would imagine the Lab to smell like. It has that indefinable musky, spicy, slightly sweet, slightly earthy smell that just screams "BPAL!" to me. I can't pick out any particular notes in here, but I can say that this smells amazing. Wet on skin: Vanilla musk and ever-so-slightly spicy cocoa (not a lot) with something boozy in the background (can't say for sure what kind of booze it is...could be bourbon or cognac, maybe). This smells exactly like I'd hoped it would based on the reviews (and my fevered imagination's epic imaginings). There's maybe a little bit of tobacco here, too, but it's so hard to say. Everything just swirls together and it's incredibly hard to pick out any of the notes. I just get an impression of spiciness, booziness, muskiness, deep vanilla and a dusting of rich cocoa overtop. This isn't a foody scent to me, exactly. It's a sensual, deep, rich, grown-up scent that grabs me by the subconscious and yanks me in. Dry down: I could cry tears of joy right now. I'm so, so in love with Storyville. It really is everything I ever wanted it to be. As it dries, the spicy chocolatey boozy musk scent stays but it gets deeper and even more blended smelling. I still get the impression of some very rich, cured tobacco in here, too. I have to say that I think this would smell amazing on a man, too. It's so rich and sensual smelling. I'd slather this on my husband if I weren't so rabidly possessive of my precious partial bottle. The bottom line: Everything I ever wanted and more. If Storyville were ever to make a comeback (which I gather is impossible), I'd buy a dozen bottles. It's that good. This was worth every penny I paid for it and more. ETA: Amending my review to be more thorough. Playing BPAL note detective! I've been trying out various amounts of Storyville, trying to pin down the notes a little more, now that I've had plenty of time to let it rest and get to know it a little more, ahem, intimately and I agree with most of the notes that other people have picked out. Here's what I'm thinking the notes list would include: Definitely: Vanilla (definitely) Musk (not sure what kind, but it doesn't seem to be white because it's not clean and powdery) Cocoa Whiskey (I'm basing this on the fact that the booziness in Storyville smells a lot like the whiskey in Mad Sweeney on me - rich, sweet, a little musky and oh-so-sexy) Cinnamon (just a little bit) Probably: Coffee (I don't smell coffee explicitly, but it does have some similarities to the coffee note in some other blends, like The Arabian Dance and Misk U v3...sort of a rich, dark brown scent rather than screaming fresh-brewed coffee beans) Maybe: Honey (could just be the sweetness of the vanilla and whiskey) Tobacco (could be the whiskey again since Mad Sweeney reminds me a little bit of cured tobacco in some ways, too)

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I waffled a lot on whether I should order The Soldier or not. Red musk and black tea are good, vanilla cream is good in principle (but it can go bad, like it did in Love's Philosophy) and black pepper and leather are often good. The pie is what threw me. What kind of pie is it? Something like apple pie would be good, but lemon chiffon or strawberry rhubarb or cherry would be bad. But I caved and got a bottle anyway, because I had to know if it would work for me since it sounds wonderful. First sniff: Hello, red musk! I get a huge waft of fruity red musk when I open the bottle. When I first got this in the mail, that was all I could smell, but now that The Soldier's had some time to sit and recover from its journey through the mail system, I also smell a little bit of vanilla cream (which smells different from Love's Philosophy; more like heavy cream with vanilla added in than vanilla ice cream) and a tiny touch of pepper. Wet on skin: Red musk and cream. I'm not a huge fan of fresh red musk, so I'm not totally in love with The Soldier at this point, but I'm positive that this is going to age into something truly gorgeous if I just give it time. Dry down: Still very strong, fruity red musk with a soft layer of cream underneath and a tiny pinch of pepper. It's a very distant relative of White Rabbit (only minus the ginger and with red musk added) on me, but the family resemblance is slight at best. I don't smell the leather and I still have no idea what kind of pie is supposed to be lurking in here (I can't smell it, so it could be any kind in theory). The bottom line: I like The Soldier now, but I think I'm going to flat out love this once it's matured. Red musk is always, always better with some age to it, IMO. I'm almost definitely going to be getting a backup bottle or two in anticipation of the goodness to come. ETA: Now that The Soldier has had a few weeks to mature, I'm smelling the leather on the drydown! In the bottle, it's still creamy red musk (far more creamy than it was before), but the drydown has definitely changed. It's slightly peppery leather and creamy red musk. Still no pie that I can smell. The red musk is already aging nicely.

The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants. Origin: 5mL from Mamacat. Preconceived notions: I love the smell of old books and incense. Musk is hit or miss but generally good, as long as it isn't powdery or pungent/animalistic. I'm hoping this is a winner because it sounds awesome. First sniff: I was about to write this off based on my first sniff when it first arrived in the mail. It was very, very powdery. In fact, that's almost all I could smell was powder. There was maybe just a slight touch of "old book" underneath, but it was completely drowned out by the powder of doom. But, since The Lurid Library had a long journey from Canada to the US, I figured it might need some time to recover and set it aside for a while (two or three weeks, I think, maybe a little longer). Opened it again yesterday and talk about a turnaround. Gone is the powder and instead I get a fairly realistic "old paper" smell, combined with just a hint of musk and some very, very light incense. Wet on skin: Mmmm, this smells good! This seriously smells like old books (a good used bookstore specializing in antique editions, maybe), even more so than The Buggre Alle This Bible, probably because The Lurid Library doesn't have the fruity leather note that Buggre has. At first I get nothing but that old paper smell, but then within a few seconds I start to smell some very faint, sweet incense. Dry down: As this dries, the smells start to mesh more and more and I'm left with the smell of something that reminds me of a combination of an antique book dealer's store and a church. Maybe an antique bookstore specializing in the religious and esoteric. Old, dry paper infused with light, sweet incense smoke. The musk is very understated. It's very much a "skin musk" sort of scent on me, which is excellent, because that's my favorite type. This is less intense than The Buggre Alle This Bible, which is good. I love a strong, intense scent, but there are a lot of days when I want to wear something that's a little more understated. The Lurid Library will fit that niche nicely. The bottom line: I really love this. Although I also have (and love) The Buggre Alle This Bible (and Aziraphale on the way), The Lurid Library is definitely staying in my collection (and in my favorites box). I think this might be my favorite "old book" scent yet. Definitely a scent I'd get a backup bottle (or two) of.

Origin: Partial bottle from ivyandpeony. Preconceived notions: Anyone who knows me knows I love the smell of dirt and really don't like florals. I've been waffling on trying this one since the flowers scare me, but since I've got my hot little hands on it now, I'm definitely trying it and hoping for the best! First sniff: Dirt and flowers. More dirt than flowers, though. This isn't quite the heavy loam note of Graveyard Dirt and it isn't quite the red clay smell of Penny Dreadful. It's somewhere in between. Kind of like Zombi, if I had to compare it to something. The florals are sweet and wild smelling, not tamed and heady like a flower shop. I think if I'm going to do florals, this is the sort that it will be. Wet on skin: Lots of wonderful, dirty dirt with a low, sweet undercurrent of flowers. It's more like Graveyard Dirt now, but with a little bit of red clay thrown in. It still reminds me a bit of Zombi, but much dirtier and sweeter, with wildflowers instead of rose. Dry down: Pungent, loamy dirt and red clay mixed with wildflower petals. I'm actually really enjoying this. It has more depth to it than Graveyard Dirt (which I love) and it's probably a little more interesting and appealing to those who don't normally do dirt scents. The bottom line: I'm not going to suddenly become a floral convert, but I can wear this without the flowers ruining it for me. A great scent for dirt fans like me, especially dirt fans who also like florals.

Origin: Frimp in a LJ purchase. Preconceived notions: I've been wanting to try this one after reading the reviews. I'm expecting spicy fruit (apple or pear, maybe apple cider), fir/pine/evergreen and maybe some smoke. It sounds like the perfect Christmas scent. First sniff: Yay, Christmas in a bottle! As much as I love the smell of things like Mistletoe (which is a fantastic almost-pine scent), when I think Christmas scents, I think of blends that have everything all rolled into one. The smell of the Christmas tree, some hot spiced apple cider, a roaring fireplace, baking spices, the whole shebang. And that's what Quick Grope Under the Mistletoe smells like in the imp. Wet on skin: Spiced apple cider with just a touch of smoke. It reminds me quite a bit of Fearful Pleasure, but somehow more wintery and less autumnal. I don't know if it's just the name that's causing my brain to associate this with winter instead of fall, but they definitely "feel" different to me and conjure up different mental images. Dry down: This one's a morpher on me. As soon as the oil starts drying, a new scent comes out. Quick Grope has gone from spicy apple cider to spicy Christmas tree and it's beautiful. I also get a touch of smoke here and it reminds me of a Christmas tree, decked out with cinnamon ornaments (the kind I made when I was little from ground cinnamon and, I think, applesauce...it's been a long time, but we've still got one in our box of decorations and it has a strong cinnamon scent to it even now), next to a crackling fireplace. The bottom line: This is an awesome Christmas scent. I'm definitely going to need to get ahold of a bottle of this soon.

Origin: Lagniappe from the lovely DangerInRed. Preconceived notions: I love the smell of gingerbread and gingersnap cookies, do this one is almost definitely going to be a winner for me. First sniff: Gingersnaps, made with a touch of molasses, and...lemon? I'm getting something very faint and slightly citrusy here. It reminds me a bit of gingersnaps with a very thin layer of lemon royal icing on top. Normally, I'm not a lemon (or citrus in general) fan, but I like the little bit of zing that I'm getting from Bedbug! Wet on skin: Same as in the imp. Deliciously spicy. This isn't just the smell of a combination of spices that would go into a gingersnap cookie. It's definitely the smell of the cookie itself. Dry down: Once Bedbug dries, I'm left with mouthwatering, chewy gingersnap molasses cookies and fresh, grated ginger, rather than lemon. That makes me think that Bedbug is another scent where my nose temporarily confuses the smell of fresh ginger with lemon, like it does with White Rabbit. It only seems to happen when there's a very strong, fresh ginger note in a scent rather than a dried, crystallized or "spicy" ginger note. The bottom line: I really like this! I'd definitely buy a bottle if it were available in bottle form. I'll be savoring my little imp (and laughing at the name and label art) until it's used up.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I love clove and I like blackcurrant, so I'm expecting Arachne of Lydia to be a winner. I'm thinking that since the clove is described as being "dusty" that this is going to be something other than a truly foody/fruity scent and something a little more unclassifiable. First sniff: This may sound like an unflattering comparison to some people (and like high praise to others, I imagine), but this smells a lot like Witches Brew (I think WB started out as a Yankee Candle scent and then spread through the etailers' world like wildfire). I believe WB is supposed to be a mixture of patchouli and cinnamon, but it's always smelled just the slightest bit fruity to me, too. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet, since I got burned out on Witches Brew ages ago after really liking it for a long time. Wet on skin: No real change from in the bottle. It smells just a little bit more like BPAL's Sweet Clove single note, now, though. I'm not really getting fruit from this. It's a definite spice scent for me, with something soft and velvety purple-black in the background. It's a bit hard to describe, but I'm liking it. Dry down: This still smells a bit like Witches Brew to me. They're not identical, but they're definite scent relatives. Cousins maybe, or step-siblings. It's a soft, spicy, dry scent. I don't really get any identifiable fruit from this. Just dusty clove, maybe some cinnamon (although it's not noted in the description, so it could be that I'm being influenced by the WB comparison) and something that I can only describe as soft and deep purple. Like a deep purple, once ornate and beautiful, now faded (and edging towards threadbare) dress that's been hidden away in a trunk in someone's attic, packed away with clove pomanders to keep pests away. The bottom line: I really like this. It's definitely not a fruity scent, so if you're looking for juicy fruit, look elsewhere. But if you love BPAL's sweet clove note and are looking for something soft and spicy and evocative, this is a real winner.

Origin: Imp bought on LiveJournal. Was going to wait and see if I got this as lagniappe from the Lab or an extra in a swap, but I was buying a few other things from the seller and it was cheap, so I grabbed it, too. Preconceived notions: Anyone who knows me and my scent preferences knows that I despise roses. They're truly a note of doom for me. Only one rose scent has ever worked for me (and by "worked" I mean I could tolerate being around it for an extended period of time, not that I could wear it) and that was Rose Red. The only reason Rose Red worked was the sheer amount of greenery involved. So, that being said, I'm hoping that the roses in The Knave of Hearts are drowned out by the blackcurrant tarts. Honestly, I have (highly unlikely) fantasies of a blackcurrant version of March Hare. I know it's not going to happen, but that's my little BPAL fantasy du jour. First sniff: Not bad. I can smell some rose here, but it's mostly buttery pastry and black fruit. It actually smells more like blackberry to me than blackcurrant. Wet on skin: Same as in the bottle. The roses come out just a little bit more (unsurprising, since my skin apparently loves rose as much as I hate it), but not so much that this becomes a floral blend. It's mostly a soft fruit and pastry scent with soft florals floating in the background. I'm imagining a kitchen in summer, the windows opened to let out the heat from the oven, with blackcurrant (or blackberry) tarts cooling on the counter. There's a soft breeze blowing and it's wafting the scent of newly bloomed roses in through the window. I have to admit, it's pretty. If it stays like this, I think I may have found a rose scent I might potentially be able to wear. Time will tell with this one, I think, unless it goes bad during the drydown (which has been known to happen). Dry down: The rose does indeed come out more as this dries, but they're still pretty understated. I don't know that I would call this scent foody or floral. It's both and neither, at the same time. If I take a shallow breath, I get buttery jam-filled tarts, which is wonderful. If I breathe deeper, I get a very realistic, slightly powdery rose with a thin layer of blackberry jam on top. That's prettier than it sounds, I swear. The bottom line: I'm honestly not sure yet how I feel about this. I think I like it, but I don't love it (the roses see to that). I also think I need more time to wrap my head around it and feel out this whole rose thing. I'm positive it'll never be a bottle purchase for me (if I liked roses, though, it would be because it's a pretty scent), but I'm probably going to keep my imp around.

Origin: 5mL from bombus. Preconceived notions: I love the smell of fresh-cut grass, but florals are my arch-nemeses, so I'm hoping this is heavy on the grass and light on the flowers. But, if it's not, dandelions are one of the few florals I can sometimes enjoy the smell of, so it might not be a deal breaker. First sniff: Super strong fresh-cut grass with just the faintest hint of sweet dandelion in the background. This smells like sitting on our front porch when I was little while my dad mowed the lawn, breathing in that green, dewy smell under the warm summer sun. It's summer in a bottle. Wet on skin: This starts out as pure, green grass and then, within a few seconds, starts developing an extremely strong, extremely bitter note that has to be dandelion sap. It smells exactly like the inside of a dandelion stem tastes (if you've never tasted it, they're extremely bitter and the taste seems to cling to your tongue). I'm guessing it must be a skin chemistry thing, since it doesn't seem to be something that other reviewers have experienced, but I'm confused by that since I can wear Roadhouse (which also has dandelion), without experiencing this bitteriness. Maybe the Lab uses more than one kind of dandelion note? Dry down: One to Tie fades pretty quickly (within an hour it's all but gone), but the bitterness does ease up toward the last third of its lifespan on my skin and I end up with a soft dandelion blossom scent with a background of green grass. I'm not normally a floral fan, but I actually really like the smell of the dandelion in this. It smells soft, feathery and slightly sweet, just like a dandelion in full bloom. The bottom line: I think this one's destined for wear in my scent locket only because I just can't tolerate the ultra bitter stage, especially since the lifespan is so short on my skin. It makes me a bit sad to miss out on the unexpectedly pretty dandelion blossom last stage drydown, but I'm going to have to compromise here. It's either miss that stage or not wear it at all since I know I won't be willing to suffer through the dandelion sap stage. I do really like One to Tie, Two to Win, though. It's one of those BPAL scents that perfectly captures a nostalgic memory for me. It's childhood happiness in a bottle and, for that, I'm willing to overlook the fact that I'm only going to be able to wear it in a locket.

Cathedral. I couldn't decide what to wear, so I just reached into my "favorites" box and blindly pulled one out. Probably would have rather worn Flesh-Eating Reindeer, now that I'm thinking about it again. Oh well. EDIT: Washed off Cathedral (at least off my wrists; I washed my neck as well as I could without getting my shirt wet) and I'm wearing Flesh-Eating Reindeer now. Normally I'd wear Cathedral any day (quite happily), but today feels more like a gingerbread sort of day.

Aww, that's cute! Somehow, I was expecting something darker/meaner looking.

Can't see your picture, lamenteuse.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I ordered this on the spur of the moment, after waffling over whether I'd like it or not. Leather is a love it or hate it thing for me. I don't like the smell of real leather, but I do enjoy it in some perfumes (Hellfire, for example) if it's blended with the right notes. Western Diamondback has the potential to be a winner, though, I think. I have a feeling the sweetness/spiciness/muskiness of the Snake Oil will temper the leather note and make it more wearable for me. I'm a little concerned about the sage, though, since it sometimes reminds me of poultry stuffing. First sniff: Snake Oil (quite distinctly, unlike with Temple Viper and King Cobra) and a touch of very soft, dry leather (it reminds me more of Dead Man's Hand than Spanked at this point, if that helps you figure out what kind of leather note this is). No stuffing sage to be smelled yet. I really like this right now. Oddly enough, the Snake Oil smells more aged than fresh. I'm not sure if that's the leather note tricking my nose or if, perhaps, aged Snake Oil was used in this (which wouldn't make much sense, because I don't think Beth has vats of aged Snake Oil sitting around to blend into other scents...I could be wrong, though). Wet on skin: Initially, Western Diamondback is the same on my skin as it is in the bottle, but then it starts to develop a soft, worn-in leather smell (now it's more like Spanked than Dead Man's Hand) within maybe 30 seconds of hitting my skin. Still no sage. I really like it at this point because the leather is definitely there, but it's covered with a soft, smooth layer of Snake Oil. The sweetness/spiciness/muskiness of Snake Oil takes the edge off the leather and makes it much more subtle than it would be on its own. Dry down: The leather develops more and more as this dries, until I'm left with something that's definitely leather with a background of Snake Oil (red musk, vanilla and spice, maybe a touch of patchouli hiding somewhere deep down). It's still softer and less in-your-face-OMG-leather than it would be alone, but it's definitely more leathery than it was in the bottle and in the wet stage. The sage never does make an appearance here, which I'm happy about. The bottom line: I like this quite a bit, although it's not my favorite of the Snake Pit scents. I think I'd put it behind Boomslang, King Cobra and Temple Viper but in front of Saw-Scaled Viper and Death Adder. I'm curious to see how this one is going to change as it ages. I have a feeling it's going to get deeper, richer and better, but I'm hoping the leather continues to behave itself and that the sage keeps its distance.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Everything but the rose sounds great. I've read the reviews pretty thoroughly and it looks like other people aren't getting much rose. Honestly, that's the only reason I bought this one, since rose is an immediate deal-breaker for me 99% of the time. I hate rose. First sniff: Uh-oh. There are roses in this incense! I can smell them, lurking under the beautiful resins, trying to blend in with the scenery. They're doing a pretty good job of it, actually, since the rose smell is faint and mostly covered by dark, dry resins, but I can still tell they're there and it worries me. Wet on skin: Off to a good start for about three seconds (no roses to be found) and then wham, full-on floral attack! The Blasphemare Reliquary goes from dry resins (quite beautiful, but also similar in feel to Penitence) to powdery, rosy incense almost faster than I can register it. In all fairness, it's possible that the rose in this isn't quite as obvious to everyone else as it is to me. It's just one of those notes where if it's in a blend, it tends to jump out at me in a big way, even if I don't amp it. Dry down: Stronger and stronger on the rose as it dries. I was hoping it might pull a disappearing act and go away again on the drydown, but no such luck. I wish I was one of the people who gets little to no (preferably no) rose from TBR, but it looks like it's not to be. Instead, I get a strong, powdery incense scent made with dried, crushed rose petals. I don't mean this as an insult (it's not, I swear), but at this stage, Blasphemare makes me think of someone's dotty old grandma...but a dotty old grandma who holds séances and likes to burn old, crumbling powdery incense while wearing her favorite dusty rose perfume. That probably sounds bad, but I think it could be pretty on (and for) someone else. It's not an old lady scent (in that it's not going to make you smell like an old lady). It just happens to call to mind that particular mental image because my brain likes to free associate in strange ways. The bottom line: I'm not a rose fan by any stretch of the imagination (Rose Red is the only rose scent I've ever been able to tolerate and that's because it has so much greenery and a crisp, fresh, plant-like smell rather than that heady/powdery scent I normally get from rose blends), so The Blasphemare Reliquary isn't for me, as much as I wanted to love it. My bottle's moved on to another home where (hopefully) it's lurking rosiness can be better appreciated.

Origin: 5mL bought on LiveJournal. Preconceived notions: I'm a little up in the air about what to expect from this one. On the one hand, I'm thinking it might be similar to Snowblind (which I love) or one of the Lick It variations (which I definitely don't love). But, then, the reviews mention chocolate, which isn't mentioned in the description, and that makes me think it won't be like either one. I was desperate to get ahold of Tokyo Stomp, though, and paid more than I really wanted to, so I'm really hoping this works, regardless of what it ends up smelling like. First sniff: The comparisons to the inside of a York peppermint patty are spot on. This is brisker and crisper than Snowblind and doesn't the "butter mint" effect that Snowblind has. I do smell a bit of chocolate here, too. In fact, this reminds me of a more pepperminty, crisper version of Spooky. That's not a bad thing, but it's not great, either, since I have too much Spooky already (when I rarely wear it) and I don't need more of something that smells like it. Wet on skin: At first this is super intense, almost eye-watering peppermint patty filling. It's very pepperminty and very crisp, not smooth and soft like Snowblind or Spooky. Then it quickly develops a hint of chocolate to it. Dark chocolate, I think. Just a touch. Dry down: As this dries, it turns into something very much like Spooky without the coconut on my skin. It's not identical, but it's really, really close to being Spooky's twin on me. If you took a York peppermint patty and crossed it with a Grasshopper cookie, you'd get something like Tokyo Stomp. I like it in spite of not being a big mint or chocolate fan (although I'm learning to love BPAL's dark chocolate scents), but I'm disappointed in how close it is to being a Spooky dupe. The bottom line: I was worried this would smell too much like Snowblind, but it turns out smelling like Spooky. It smells good and I like it, but I've got more than enough Spooky on hand already, so Tokyo Stomp is a little redundant. It breaks my heart because I was so desperate to get ahold of this, but I think it's going to have to move on to crush another city with it's minty-chocolatey giant lizard feet. My town's reached its limit of mint-chocolate scents.

Origin: Tester from Scrappy. Preconceived notions: This sounds like perfection in a bottle. Red musk can be a very good thing. Vanilla? Love it if it's done right. Patchouli? Patchouli is my one true love. If I could only wear one note for the rest of my life, it would be patchouli. No question. First sniff: Red musk. Lots and lots of red musk. In fact, that's all I'm getting here. It may as well be a red musk single note. That's not a bad thing since I really like red musk, but I was expecting some sweetness and some earthiness, too. This is definitely different than the released version. The released version of Lust smells strongly of dragon's blood to me, with some spice and a touch of something floral in the background. It's a nice enough scent and I like it (in spite of the itty bitty bit of florals I detect in it), but I like this more. Wet on skin: No real change. Lots of red musk. Muskalicious. There could be some red patchouli in here, hiding under the musk, but it's hard to say. I'm not getting any sweetness from this, really, just a sort of softening of the muskiness and a rounding of the edges, but it does bear some resemblance to both Snake Oil (without the spice and with a little extra muskiness) and Mme. Moriarty (without the fruit). I'm not laying that squarely on the musk, either. I think they share some vanilla as a common component. Dry down: This one's no morpher. More of the same. Red musk with some hidden vanilla (I'm pretty positive about that). No patchouli that I can detect, but it could be hiding, too. I find red musk to be very strong on me. If it's in a blend, it tends to come to the forefront and make itself known. Usually I wear red musk scents where it's intended to be the main note, so that's not an issue. It's not an issue here, either. I'd just love to get some rich, smooth vanilla action going here and some nice earthy patchouli to back it up. That would be heaven in a bottle. The bottom line: I like this a lot, but I question whether it's different enough from the other red musk blends I own to justify tracking down a bottle. Maybe on someone else whose skin doesn't emphasize red musk so much? Hard to say if it's just me (and/or my skin chemistry) or if this is really just a very strongly red musk-centric scent. ETA: I ended up with a bottle after all. I really do like red musk quite a bit, and I'm not averse to having multiple similar scents in my collection, so I grabbed a bottle when it came up at a reasonable price and I definitely don't regret that decision. ETA again: I put on a tiny dab of this before bed last night and more than 12 hours later, I'm still smelling the lingering traces of it! Interestingly, I definitely smell vanilla at this point (so it's clearly in there and just doesn't come out on me during normal wear). It's actually the main note now. It's a smooth, musky vanilla, and sits very close to the skin. And it smells awesome.

Origin: Decant from ivyandpeony. Preconceived notions: This should be made of win for me. I love, love, love BPAL's plum note, I love incense and resins and spices. I really like the released Hellion but wanted more plum. How could this go wrong? First sniff: Oh, this is going wrong...no, no, no! How is this going wrong?! I mean, I like it alright. It's not bad. It's just not...what I wanted, I guess. There's definitely a lot of plum in here, but it's so fruity and sweet that it's bordering on fruit punch territory. I don't like the smell of fruit punch or sweet fruits in general. I like the smell of apple cider quite a bit, but that's as far as my fruity drink preferences reach. There are spices here, too. Mulling spices, maybe. It's like spiced fruit punch made with lots of overripe plums. Wet on skin: I've never had an issue with my skin causing fruit notes to amp and definitely never with plum (which I usually adore), but as soon as this hits my skin, the plums just come screaming to the surface even more. All I can smell at this stage is overripe plums and fruit punch. There's a touch of spice underneath it all, but it takes a backseat to the super sweet, syrupy fruit. Dry down: Okay, this is better. Now I'm getting spices with a layer of (still overripe, but not as overripe) plum. I don't get any of the gorgeous incense I get from the released version of Hellion, which is a shame. If I could take Hellion (the released version) and add more of the plum from something like King of Spades to it, it would be perfect. That's what I was hoping for with v2, but it looks like what I'm getting instead is lots of spice, a handful of pulpy fruit and no hint of incense. It's not a bad scent. It's really not, in spite of how that might sound. It's just not what I was dreaming of. I think that's a good thing, actually, since I managed to get a decant before someone answered my DISO with a bottle (so thank you for saving me, ivyandpeony!). I think I would have been infinitely more disappointed if that had happened. The bottom line: This isn't what I was imagining, sadly. It's not bad and I like it alright (in fact, I nearly bought a bottle anyway, because it was for sale and the price was reasonable and I told myself that I don't dislike v2, so it wouldn't be a stupid purchase...but thankfully someone saved me there, too, and grabbed it up before I could and I got a new scent instead), it's just not what I had in my head. I'm happy I tried this, though, and I'll probably be keeping my decant.

Origin: Tester 5mL from kittenmorag. Thank you again for your generosity! Preconceived notions: I wanted this as much for the bottle (I love the label art on this one and on most of the Sleepy Hollow scents) as for the scent, to be honest. Most of the notes here sound fantastic (I love the smell of burning wood, smoke, wood and oakmoss and I usually like apple cider and apple scents in general). The only thing that has me worried is the sassafras beer, emphasis on the beer. I like sassafras as long as it's not too full-on rootbeer-like. As long as the dreaded beer note (can't stand the smell of beer) stays in the background or, even better, doesn't make an appearance at all, this could be love. First sniff: Mmmm, autumn in a bottle! I smell heavily spiced apple cider, maybe some stewed (or otherwise cooked) apples, a bit of orange (it smells a bit like a pomander to me, in a good way) and a touch of smoke in the bottle. This smells amazing! No hint of beer here and very little wood (burning or otherwise). This reminds me so much of working at the local apple festival every year when I was growing up. My favorite stations were the apple cider press (which was run by an old bike that was rigged to screw the press down when someone sat on it and pedaled, which was usually my job) and the apple butter station. This smells like a combination of the two in the most wonderful way. Wet on skin: No change at all from the bottle. This is all spicy apple cider, warm, cooked apples and just a touch of smoke and wood. This is what I imagined Samhain would smell like before I actually smelled it. This is autumn. Dry down: So good! As this dries, more of the wood and smoke come out, making this even more perfect for me. I still get a strong (and I do mean strong, a little swipe of Fearful Pleasure is plenty) spicy apple cider scent, but it's balanced by smooth, smoky wood and a touch of orange peel. This is everything I've always wanted in an autumn scent. It smells exactly like those October days at the apple festival, which were always, by some miracle, perfect. Nothing could go wrong those days. It was my own little slice of heaven every year, enjoying my favorite season, my favorite month and the sights and smells of autunm. The bottom line: This is nostalgia in a bottle as much as it's autumn in a bottle and I love it. I had to track down a full bottle of Fearful Pleasure after falling hard for my tester.

Origin: 5mL from Aevie. Preconceived notions: Old paper, leather, tobacco, incense. Basically, what the description says. First sniff: This smells so familiar. I swear, there's another BPAL scent in my collection that's very similar to this, but I just can't place it. It's definitely leathery, but it's that strange, musky, almost fruity leather note that some BPAL scents have. A bit like Hellfire's leather, only lighter and less aggressive. I also smell some tobacco here and something musty and dry, that has to be the paper. No incense that I can detect in the bottle, but it's probably being drowned out by the other notes. Wet on skin: This one morphs quickly once it hits my skin. Initially, it's all musky-fruity leather and then it starts to shift into something that's, again, maddeningly familiar. At first I thought it might be Umbra or Typhon it was reminding me of, but I sniffed the bottles to compare and neither one is right. It's not Hellfire, either, although they could be cousins in some ways. I still don't know what it is that this reminds me of, but I like it. The late wet stage on this is soft and comfortable, like a well-worn leather armchair, but it's not particularly leathery. Instead, it's just a soft, musky, slightly earthy (it almost smells like a very soft patchouli and vetiver blend with a hint of spice)...brown scent. It smells comfortable and lived in. I like it. Dry down: The soft musky-earthy stage lasts for about an hour or two on me and then this suddenly turns into the scent of old, dry paper. The kind that crackles to the touch and looks in danger of disintegrating if not handled carefully. It comes close to being downright powdery, but, thankfully, avoids that pitfall, settling on a scent that's somewhat like an old leather-bound book. One so old that the leather has lost most of it's smell and just smells...well, old. There could be some very dry incense here, too, but it's hard to tease it out from the smell of the paper. That stage lasts for another few hours and then I end up with a sort of hybrid of the other stages. A very faint "gentleman's library" kind of smell. Very light, lived-in leather, a touch of pipe tobacco, old paper and what could be just the barest breath of incense smoke. Maybe it's the library of a gentleman who likes to dabble in the occult. Or one who traveled the Orient and brought back incense to remind him of his travels. Whatever his history, he's not completely what he appears to be on the surface. There's something mysterious lurking behind that closed library door. The bottom line: I really like all the stages of this one, although I've been having a hard time deciding if I like this a lot or if I love it (the difference between the two would decide which of my BPAL boxes it lives in). After giving it a couple wears, I've decided that I love it. There are some stages where it gets dangerously close to being too powdery, but they don't last too long and everything else about The Buggre Alle This Bible is great. I'll most likely have to get another bottle or two at some point, although the price makes my wallet want to cry when I mention the word "backups" (I'm not used to paying so much for a non-LE scent, that's all.)