Penance

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I have a feeling this one is going to be a failure on me. I love resin notes, but roses rarely if ever work on me. First sniff: Interesting. A strong rose note with a background of intense resins. This is a lot stronger than I'd thought it would be for some reason, and more forceful. Wet on skin: Not as intensely rosy on my skin and much more incensey. This is actually quite a bit nicer than I'd anticipated, honestly. The resins are a lot more intense than I'd expected and the rose is a lot softer. There's definitely frankincense in here, it reminds me quite a bit of the shampoo I use (Lush's Buddah Bar), but with rose added. Dry down: The rose is really taking a backseat to the resins in here and I like it! I wasn't anticipating liking this one at all, so that's a real shocker for me. I think I'm going to be keeping this one after all. The bottom line: Much more "me" than I'd anticipated, especially considering that there's rose in here.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I'm not sure how well this one is going to work. I do love myrrh, apple peel, sandalwood and thyme, but the rest has the potential to go completely wrong on me. First sniff: Floral-fruit-musk-herbal. Different, but I don't think it's for me. I'm having trouble teasing apart the different notes, all I get here is an impression, not a complete picture. Wet on skin: Fruity and floral and not at all me. I smell the apple in here which is good, but I also get a whole slew of flowers in the background, which ruins this for me. I've already got a headache from the other floral scents I've tested today and this is just making it even worse. Dry down: All floral now, which isn't surprising given my body chemistry's love of turning anything with florals in it into a pure floral perfume. This is definitely not for me. The bottom line: Far too floral for me. It's giving me a headache.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I have incredibly bad luck with aquatic scents, especially the sweet ones. They give me hives for some inexplicable reason, even though I like them scent-wise. The only ones that don't give me hives are the ozone-intense ones, so I'm hoping for one of those, but I doubt I'll get that lucky. First sniff: Smells like fabric softener! It's got a bit of an ozone kick, but there's also that sort of aquatic floral thing that fabric softeners often have. I actually love the smell of fabric softener, so that's not a bad thing at all. Wet on skin: Yep, definitely fabric softener. It's floral, but a fabric softener floral, not a true flower scent, which is good because I hate true flower florals as a general rule. I can see this being a scent that you either love or hate and so far I love it. Dry down: This is so fun! It reminds me a bit of Yog-Sothoth in that it's a fabric softener/laundry detergent kind of scent, but it's also different...more floral and less neutral. I actually like this quite a bit, although it would never be an every day scent for me (it's a bit much for that). The bottom line: Another surprise winner! I only like it because I like fabric softener, but the reason why I like it doesn't matter to me, just the fact that I do like it.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I seem to remember people saying this had lavender in it, which is good because I'm starting to really love lavender in scents where before I was neutral about it. First sniff: There's definitely lavender in here, but there's something almost citrusy and something that smells a bit like sweetgrass. This is interesting, it's definitely not the pure herbal scent I was expecting. I'm not sure if I like this or not. Wet on skin: Ooh, I like this! On me, the lavender really ratchets up and outweighs the other notes in here. It's not a pure lavender scent, though. There's something sweetish here that reminds me of sweetgrass once again, but I don't think that's what it is. This reminds me of Lush's Waving Not Drowning ballistic! Dry down: Oh, this is good...really, really good! I didn't expect to love this, but it's so similar to the Lush WND ballistic, which I love, that it's impossible not to love it. It's lavender, but with some other mystery notes in the background that I can't identify. Beautiful! The bottom line: A surprise winner! I'm going to have to get a bottle of this somehow.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I've been curious about this one since the Elementals were first introduced, so I'm excited to get a chance to try this. First sniff: I was expecting something medicinal in this, but this is more...almost vetiver-like for some reason. It's a bit earthy, strong and almost harsh smelling in a way. Very interesting! Wet on skin: Okay, it's changing now that it's on my skin. I smell dragon's blood in this and maybe a bit of vetiver. This reminds me of some of the Tarot blends although I can't pin down which ones, it's just a general feeling. Dry down: I'm sure there's dragon's blood in this and possibly jasmine and vetiver. I was expecting something quite a bit harsher and more medicinal and this is more earthy in an almost bitter way. The bottom line: I like this, but I don't love it, so I'm not too upset not to have gotten a bottle when I had the chance.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't see this one working for me. I'm not a fan of florals or melon and this sounds far too girly for me, but I'll happily try it! First sniff: Very sweet and melony. Like melon flavored taffy, almost. It's interesting, but not really me. Wet on skin: Sweet, sugary melon with a touch of flowers. Even though I didn't expect to like this, I like it even less than I'd anticipated for some reason. It's just not working on me. Way too sweet and melony. Dry down: This reminds me of watermelon Bubble Yum for some reason. I think it's the sweetness mixed with the melon, even if it's not watermelon. Very candy sweet but not quite cloying somehow. The bottom line: Definitely not for me, even less so than I'd anticipated.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order this because of the floral notes, even if I do love fir and birch. Floral notes work for me maybe once in a blue moon and I just don't like them, but I seem to remember some people comparing this to Skadi, so it could theoretically end up being a scent I love if it really does smell like Skadi. First sniff: Well, I'll be damned, there is something Skadi-esque about this one for some reason. The florals aren't the main component here, strangely. Instead it's more of a fir and slushy snow with florals in the background kind of scent. Wet on skin: This reminds me of a mix of Talvikuu and Skadi with a touch of floral thrown in. It's very pretty and not what I was anticipating based on the description at all. I think I prefer Snow Bunny to this for some reason, but this comes in a close second to it as a replacement for Skadi. Dry down: A bit more floral now, but pretty much the same as when it was wet. The bottom line: I like this so much more than I'd expected to!

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I keep typing Pimp Phoenix when I try to write about this, in spite of my expecting this to be a girly-in-the-extreme kind of scent rather than a bad ass velvet hat and cane kind of scent. I'm not anticipating this working on me. I do like vanilla bean, honeycomb and pear, but the sweet pea and strawberry don't bode well at all. Plus I just expect this to be far too girly for me. First sniff: That's pretty much what I expected. A tooth-achingly sweet, generically girly scent that doesn't do it for me. Wet on skin: This isn't as bad as I'd expected, really. I was most afraid of the strawberry as no BPAL strawberry scent has ever worked for me, but all I really smell in here is sugar...and sugary, pink, frilly things. It's not quite for me, but I can at least see why it would be fun and even pretty enough on someone else. It clashes with my personality, unfortunately. Dry down: This is interesting...normally this sort of a scent would be put up on my swaps list immediately, but I'm waffling over this one. It's interesting. Definitely not the kind of scent I've ever worn in the past, but it's got it's attractions. I think I might hang onto this for a while until I can make up my mind. The bottom line: I like this quite a bit more than I'd anticipated. It's girly in the extreme for sure, but it's not a bad girly in the extreme like Pink Moon was.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I love the description of this one for some reason, but the notes have me worried. This sounds awfully floral and I absolutely hate floral notes. I've heard that it's not nearly as floral as I'd feared, but I'm still not expecting it to work. First sniff: How weird...Stardust smells like hairspray with a touch of cheap drugstore perfume! Wet on skin: Okay, false alarm, no hairspray and cheap, aeresol perfume now...just flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. And champagne. This is a really strange scent and not in a good way. This smells like a mix between an ashtray, a champagne bottle with the dregs still in it and wilting flowers. I hate to say it, but Stardust is, well, bad on me. Dry down: Not so weird anymore, but definitely not for me. Now Stardust has changed into an almost pure floral scent with just a dab of champagne. It's also, unfortunately, giving me a headache. The bottom line: Definitely not for me. At all.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order Snow Bunny because it just sounded wrong for me. Girlie? Not happening. But then people started comparing it to Skadi and I started crying and kicking myself. I adore Skadi and I was heartbroken that it didn't make a reappearance this year, so if I'd known that Snow Bunny and Skadi were similar, I'd have gotten a few bottles of this. First sniff: Oh my God, this really is almost identical to Skadi! It's extremely close, maybe a tiny bit more powdery, but so close that I'm not going to make a fuss over it. I'm such an idiot for not ordering this. Wet on skin: Skadi's little sister, no question about it. It's piney with a touch of berry and something that reminds me of slushy snow thrown into the mix. It's not identical to Skadi, but it's close enough that I would have happily accepted it as a substitute, had I known in time to order a few bottles. Dry down: This is so, so nice. It's not at all girly and froo-froo like I'd feared it would be based on the description, it's more natural and woodsy in a feminine sort of way. I love this. The bottom line: I'm going to have to track down a bottle or two of this. So beautiful!

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I hate roses with a passion, but Rose Red surprised me by working beautifully on my skin, so I'll give The Peacock Queen the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she'll surprise me, too, but I'm not putting any money on it. First sniff: Oh, boy, that's definitely a full, blooming rose scent. The thing I liked about Rose Red was that it was a rosebud scent and slightly green, The Peacock Queen is a full, open rose, lush and floral and richly rosy. Unfortunately, that doesn't work for me. Wet on skin: More powdery now, but still very much an intense rose. This is the sort of scent my mom likes but that never works on me. I'm just not a fan of the smell of roses, unfortunately. They're certainly pretty to look at, but I just can't get into the scent of them for some reason. Dry down: The Peacock Queen smells as if Beth grabbed a rose at the peak of its bloom and managed to cram it into a tiny little 5mL bottle. It's uncannily realistic, extremely intense and all wrong for me. The bottom line: I didn't expect this to work and I was right. I'll be sticking to Rose Red if I want to wear a rose scent for a change.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I'm not a big peppermint fan, but Lick It certainly sounds fun, especially since it's a BPAL candy cane scent. BPAL scents are always steps above the rest of the fragrance world if you ask me. First sniff: Hoo-boy, that's a candy cane, alright! It's pepperminty, sugary and just a bit creamy. I think this would probably make a great room scent, but I'm not sure how well this is going to work as a perfume on me. Wet on skin: This reminds me of Yankee Candle's Jack Frost scent. A peppermint, sugar and vanilla scent, only this is heavier on the sharp peppermint than Jack Frost is. I think the peppermint in this is too much for me, since I only like peppermint when it's toned down with something like vanilla. Dry down: A bit creamier now, but still too sharp for my nose. I think I'll be sticking with Snowblind for my minty vanilla fixes. The bottom line: Too pepperminty to me. This would probably make a better room scent than perfume, but I don't think I'd want my house smelling of Lick It, either. It's just too much for me, personally.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: This one's a mystery to me. The notes, in principle, sound absolutely gorgeous, but amber hates me. It smells like sour milk 99% of the time and makes me cry. Will Jacob's Ladder go all wrong or will it surprise me and live up to the beautiful imagery it creates in my mind? I don't know. Yet. First sniff: Pretty, but not what I was expecting for some reason. I was anticipating something warm and amber-colored, scent-wise, but I'm getting something almost citrusy that makes me think I've lost my mind. What on earth could be creating that lemony evil I'm smelling?! I have no idea what costus is, so I suppose that could be it...or I could just be misinterpreting something in here as being lemony, like I do with ginger sometimes. Wet on skin: That's more like I'd imagined Jacob's Ladder would be like. It's somewhere between powdery and golden amber and it's (so far, anyway) not turning into sour milk! I'm not sure that it's me, though, unfortunately. I like amber, but I don't think this is really for me. I'm starting to realize that there's something about amber that doesn't quite sit right with me for some reason. Dry down: This is actually growing on me! The powderiness is gone and it's a soft, golden, warm amber that's like wrapping myself in a fluffy blanket and sitting in front of a low fire. This is actually a very pleasant surprise, especially given my history with amber notes in BPAL scents. The bottom line: I actually really like this!

Soul sister of the Ace of Cups in the tarot, this is the Primordial energy of Water: the Heart, emotional release and receptivity, intuition, fertility, and the forces of love, beauty, pleasure and happiness. Purest white lotus, white rose, rain orchid, rose gardenia, freesia, and Bulgarian rose. Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: This is going to be so bad on me. I know it just by looking at the notes, but I had to try it. Just because. First sniff: Pure floral evil! This really is a flower garden in a bottle. The rose and orchid are the most intense of the notes, with the freesia coming in close behind and the lotus not making any appearance at all that I can find...unless it's not the bubblegum lotus I'm accustomed to. Wet on skin: Eww, roses! Get 'em off me, get 'em off me! This is so bad on me it's not even funny. I knew this was going to happen, but this is even worse than I'd imagined. I'm not saying that Beth didn't make a lovely perfume, I'm saying that I really, truly despise floral notes as a general rule and can't get them off of me fast enough, even if she does work her BPAL magic on them. Dry down: All I smell in here now is rose...unless that's a hint of bubblegum in the background that I'm smelling. I'm not sure if it is. I could be hallucinating and just imagining it as I still have nightmares about the way lotus smells. The bottom line: So, so bad on me. This lived up to my nightmares.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: When reviews started to come out for this one I nearly cried because I'd passed it up when I got to the "animalistic" part of the description. Animalistic invariably means "cat pee" on me, but everyone is raving about this one and I'm kicking myself at this point. First sniff: Hmm, interesting...definitely not a strong, animalistic, "cat pee" type of musk...more of a soft, barely there skin musk with a hint of herbs in the far, far background. This smells like nighttime to me for some reason...like night and crisp air. I'm really kicking myself at this point. Wet on skin: A bit like Oisin in it's musk and herbs approach, but certainly not the same by any stretch of the imagination. Buck Moon is clean and almost sweet in its muskiness...it's like the Blue Moon of musk scents if that makes any sense at all. Why didn't I order this? Dry down: Oh, this is so beautiful! It's light, slightly green and a tiny bit sweet, but musky at the same time. It's simultaneously clean and natural and intensely beautiful. I'm going to have to get a bottle of this, one way or another. The bottom line: The reviews were right, this is amazing! I'm so, so upset with myself that I passed this one up when I had the chance.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't expect to like this since I'm not a floral fan, but I wanted to try it anyway just because it's an LE and I want to know what it's like. First sniff: This reminds me of department store perfume (I'm sorry) for some reason. Very perfumey and floral with a light touch of spice in the background. This is definitely not going to work for me. At all. Wet on skin: Very strong, intense, heady flowers. I have absolutely no clue what's in here since I'm terrible with floral notes, but all I can say is that it smells like being buried alive in flower petals of all shapes and colors. For someone else, I'm sure that could be a wonderful thing indeed, but for me it's...bad. I'm already getting a horrible headache just from smelling the little dab I put on my wrist to test this. Dry down: I smell something that might be honeysuckle in this, but it's the only thing I can even begin to pin down aside from saying that this is floral in the extreme. There really is something spicy in here, too, but I'm not sure if it's carnation or another spicy flower or not a flower at all. The bottom line: Definitely not for me. I'm getting a horrible headache from this and I need to wash it off in a hurry.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I love the name, but the notes aren't for me. I really, truly hate florals and Dreamland is chocked full of them. First sniff: A clean, white floral blend, not heady and headache-inducing the way jasmine can be. This reminds me of an expensive designer perfume for some reason. It's not bad as far as florals go, but it's not for me. Wet on skin: A soft, clean white smelling floral with a touch of muskiness. Something in here is going a bit sour on my skin (I can smell it changing already), but I have no idea what it is since I almost never wear floral scents. Dry down: The carnation is coming out a bit now, but this is still mainly a soft, white floral. Rather unassuming and quiet smelling. The bottom line: Not for me because it's an intensely floral blend, but pretty enough in its own way.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: This is another scent I don't expect to work for me. I love rosemary and oakmoss, but florals almost never work for me and musk has a tendency to go horribly wrong on my skin, although there are definitely exceptions. First sniff: Hoo-ey, that's floral! I get a huge, huge whiff of flowers (the jasmine and lily, I think) with a background of rosemary (lovely!) when I open my imp. This is definitely going to be far too floral for me, I can tell that now. Wet on skin: The oakmoss and rosemary are stronger now and The Sleeper is less floral on me. The lily and jasmine are still very apparent, but they aren't as intense as they were in the imp. This is a sort of creamy, light floral with a seductiveness about it (the jasmine) mixed with herbs and a touch of woodsiness, but it's still not for me. Dry down: All jasmine now. Unfortunately, I don't like jasmine except in very rare circumstances. I'm not really disappointed that this didn't work for me, but it would have been nice if it had. The bottom line: Far too floral for my tastes. I'm just not a floral kind of girl.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't expect to like this. It's only got two notes in it that generally work on me. The rest are notes that never, ever work for me, but I want to try this one. Just because. First sniff: Floral oranges. This reminds me of expensive potpurri for some reason. The blood orange is very prominent, but the rose and gardenia also put in a strong appearance and the amber pokes its head in way in the background. I know this isn't going to work, but it's certainly interesting. Wet on skin: The red musk is stronger now and it's making this more of a musky orange scent than a floral orange scent. The flowers are still here and putting in a strong appearance, but it's not the same on me as it was in the imp. Dry down: Strong oranges and amber (but thankfully not sour milk amber) with a background of musk and flowers. This really is a nice scent, but it's just not for me. The bottom line: I can't pull off scents like this and they don't really appeal to me as scents on me, but this is a surprisingly lovely scent, all the same.

Preconceived notions: This one's intriguing sounding. I adore patchouli and beeswax (nice to see it in a BPAL scent!), balsam and oakmoss, but juniper often goes wrong on me for some reason, as do honey and musk. I'm not sure whether this is going to work or not, but it's fascinating sounding! First sniff: Mmm, earthy and woodsy! I smell the patchouli (love it!), the oakmoss, maybe some juniper and a tiny touch of beeswax. This is so intense and dark smelling. This smells perfect for me. I just hope it doesn't completely change on my skin the way some scents do. Wet on skin: Mmm, this is good! The patchouli is still the dominant note, but the oakmoss, musk and beeswax are right behind it. It's slightly sweet, intensely dirty and right up my alley at this point. Dry down: Hmm, this changed as it dried...it's musky and a little sweet, but not the beeswax sweet of the wet stage, the honey is coming out. This reminds me a bit of an occult store, but also of old beeswax candles, when they've lost most of their scent and are starting to crack. I'm not sure if this is going to work or not...I like it, but I'm not sure if it's working for me or not. The bottom line: I think this is going to be one of those ones I have a hard time making up my mind about. It's interesting and quite pretty on the dry down, but I'm not sure if it really works on me or not.

Preconceived notions: This could go either way on me. I love boozy scents, but musk often smells like cat pee on me if it's not the right type for my skin. First sniff: Ooh, that's musky...and sweet. This is an unusual scent. It's definitely swarthy smelling and yet it's somehow feminine in its sweetness. It's a down and dirty, yes smutty scent. I'm not sure if this is going to work on me or not, but it's certainly interesting. Wet on skin: This reminds me of Snake Oil for some reason. They're definitely not the same scent, but there's a certain family resemblance...musk and sweetness with maybe a touch of booze. I certainly wasn't expecting that! Dry down: I actually really like this! It's like Snake Oil's smuttier cousin. Heavy, dirty musk with a vanilla-like sweetness and a touch of what reminds me of whiskey. I wasn't expecting this to work this well, so I'm pleasantly surprised!

Preconceived notions: I want to love this one, but I've been hearing some things that worry me a bit: namely that it smells like cinnamon red hots. I like cinnamon but it doesn't always work on me, so I'm a bit nervous. First sniff: This definitely has a cinnamony kick to it. I can't imagine what it would be that's doing it...maybe the cassia? I've never smelled cassia on its own, so I wouldn't know. Overall, Red Phoenix is spicy, a bit fruity and sweet. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Bengal, which doesn't bode well. Wet on skin: Very similar to Bengal for some reason. I was hoping for more red musk, patchouli and plum, but this is all cinnamony spice with a bit of sweetness on me and it's just not working. Dry down: Unfortunately, I don't get any of the notes I was hoping for out of this (red musk, patchouli, benzoin, plum and tobacco). All I get are the notes that worried me, overlaid with a mysterious spiciness that reminds me of chai tea. The bottom line: This is a nice scent, there's no doubt about it, and I'm sure other people would love it, but it's just not working for me.

A scent for all rabble-rousing, nose-thumbing reprobates: black plum, champaca flower, dark musk, patchouli, narcissus and scorched sandalwood. Origin: 10mL from a lovely lady on LiveJournal whose name is escaping me for some reason. Preconceived notions: This sounds absolutely amazing. I adore plum, patchouli and sandalwood and the rest sounds like it could be gorgeous. I've got a torrid love affair going with black plum at the moment and I was absolutely heartbroken when I realized I couldn't afford to buy this from BPTP because I could only buy the statue and scent together ($50 is too much for my bank account to handle right now), so I almost literally peed with glee when said LJ user offered me her bottle. I'm desperately hoping this lives up to my expectations, even if hating it would be better for my bank account and my sanity (no desperate need to acquire more and all). First sniff: Mmm, Hellion reminds me of Queen of Spades mixed with Snake Charmer and a dab of Penitence with a tiny dose of little white flowers thrown in (very subtle flowers, otherwise this might be a very bad thing). This is everything I'd hoped for and more. This is perfect for me! Wet on skin: Whoa! That's a big change! Suddenly, I get a huge gust of scorched sandalwood (and I do mean scorched, that's absolutely the right description for it), powder and something almost astringently incense-like, which I'm imagining is the champaca flower. Why? No idea, but it feels right. There's no plum here, no musk, no patchouli...just a harsh, grating scent that's somehow destroyed smelling. I'm not sure how well this is going to work at this point. I often get weird scent stages, but this one's weird even by my standards. Dry down: Ahh, there we go. It's dying down now. Apparently my skin chemistry just knocked it for a loop. This smells like a sandalwood incense I used to burn when I was in my first year of college. Very dry and almost powdery with a nose-tickling side that makes me want to sneeze. There's a tiny touch of plum in the background - not an obvious touch, but one that I can smell all the same. This smells like incense in the most intense way...not incense smoke, incense. As in the little cones themselves, mixed with the slightest touch of dark purple fruit. This is good. Really, really good. It's not a sweet incense blend like Penitence and Cathedral, or a rounded one like Anne Bonny, it's harsh and dry and very intense. The bottom line: I had some doubts about this one once it hit my skin, but I love the drydown on this (and the way it smells in the bottle, so I can use it in a scent locket, too). I was hoping for more plum in this since I'm still mourning the loss of Queen of Spades (and King of Spades), but Hellion more than makes up for it in its intensity and uniqueness. This isn't just a recombination of BPAL scents, this has something different about it. Hellion has character.

NECRO-EDIT: My tastes in perfume have changed to include some foody scents and I can wear chocolate blends without feeling queasy now, so it's time for an updated review! Rather than delete the entire thing and start over (because the scent descriptions are still completely accurate; it's just my tastes that have changed), I'm just going to edit the parts that aren't applicable anymore. Origin: Sniffy from the lovely Savannah. Preconceived notions: I like to eat brownies, but generally speaking, chocolate scents make me a bit queasy. I do want to try this, though, because I love to try all the LE scents and because I know that Beth will have nailed the scent on this one, the same as she's done with so many other scents. (ETA: Chocolate scents don't make me queasy anymore! I can tolerate and even love quite a few of them now. I'm leaving this portion of the review alone, though, because it represents my true preconceived notions from before I ever sniffed Lump of Coal.) First sniff: Good Lord, brownies! And I do mean brownies. Thick, rich, gooey brownies. Wet on skin: Brownies in liquid form. The thick, gooey kind instead of the cakey, crumbly kind. Beth really did nail this scent right on the head, the same as she did with Snowblind. As I'm sure we all know, she's a very talented scentstress (that's like seamstress, only with scents...I can make it a word, I have the technology!). Dry down: Prepare yourself, this will come as a shock...brownies! Chewy, gooey, chocolate fudge brownies in liquid form. I'd swear my mom had a pan of them in the oven, this is so realistic. The bottom line: Astonishingly realistic. I've kept my precious little decant all these years because it's so fascinatingly true to life. I would open it up and sniff it every now and then, just because it's so realistic. It doesn't just smell like chocolate. It smells like brownies. Real, fresh-baked, gooey brownies, not the cheap, fake-smelling brownie scent that so many other similarly themed perfumes have. It's uncanny! Now that I can wear chocolate scents without feeling green around the gills, Lump of Coal is something I really enjoy wearing now and then. It's not an everyday scent (like most foody blends) because I don't want to smell like brownies most days. But in spite of that, it's actually one of my favorite BPAL foody blends now. It's a fun scent to wear when I'm in the mood for smelling like cheerful and foody.

Preconceived notions: This sounded a bit like Skadi to me, so I was instantly interested, especially considering it's being a general catalogue scent. I'm a bit worried about the "sweet berries", but the rest sounds wonderful. First sniff: Oh, boy, that's definitely not like Skadi. It actually reminds me more of Loup Garou than anything for some reason...a very sharp, but deeper pine note that's almost juniper-like. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this because pines like this tend to go "cleaning fluid" on me. Wet on skin: Interesting...this strikes me as being a sort of combination of Loup Garou, Burial and Yuletide. It's strange in a way I'm not sure I like. This may be a bit too close to "cleaning fluid" for me, because it's starting to get sharper as soon as it touches my skin, the same way Burial started to after a while of wearing it (hence the reason I got rid of it). Dry down: Pretty much the same as when it was wet. This is an odd one for me...logistically it should be perfect for me - woodsy, piney, intense - but it's just...off somehow. I know I won't love all pine scents but I'm surprised by Yew-Trees' not feeling right to me. I'd almost lump it in the same category as Gnome which also went a bit odd on me. I don't think this is for me, which is pretty upsetting. The bottom line: I wanted to love this, but it's just not working for me. Something in here feels "off" for some reason.