Penance

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I already know that I won't like Hecate and I'm sure it'll make me sick if I even try to really try it out (I'm allergic to almonds) but in the interests of reviewing, I'll give it a quick sniff and review it that way. Impressions: Giving this a quick sniff I smell almond, almond and more almond (no surprise since it's normally all I can smell if there's any at all in a scent), but I can tell there's something else here, too. Something sweetish...must be the myrrh I'm smelling although I can't pin it down since I'm already getting nauseous as it is. This definitely isn't me, but it's not a bad scent, either.

First sniff: Mmm, gorgeous! I can't believe I waited this long to order this. I think I was afraid of the ambergris because I didn't know what it smelled like, but I still can't believe I didn't take a chance on this. Warm and slightly musky with a heavy dusting of sage and basil and a hint of frankincense. This smells like a sexy man although I definitely wouldn't say that this is strictly a masculine scent. I can see myself loving this already. Wet on skin: No real change from in the vial. On me, it's a close cousin of Oisin's, only with warmer musk and a bit of frankincense. Very sexy. I'm going to have to put this on my husband even if it means tying him down and slathering him in it. Dry down: Antony's the most stable scent I've smelled in quite a while. Any changes at all from imp to dry down have been negligable at best, which is wonderful because I love the way it smells in the imp. I can see this making a reasonable replacement for Oisin once mine runs out and this is a definite winner on its own. The bottom line: I sense a bottle of this in my future! Sexy and clean but musky at the same time. I love the combination of musk and herbs. Next step: try it on my husband.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I originally passed on Casanova when it came out because of the anise and lemon peel (both of which I despise) and, to a lesser degree, the bergamot and amber which don't normally work for me, but it does have leather and patchouli, both of which I love, so I'll admit that I'm curious. First sniff: Wow, that's a definite surprise. I smell expensive (if generic, as all commercial perfumes/colognes are to me now) men's cologne! I guess I was expecting something less well-blended. I mean that in a good way - something where the individual notes stood out more clearly, not as in something poorly made. This is actually pretty damn sexy if I do say so myself. Wet on skin: Expensive, sexy men's cologne. I don't know how else to describe it. I catch bits and pieces of the notes, but I only recognize them because I know they're there. I don't generally like the smell of men's cologne, but Casanova is sexy and comforting at the same time It's fresh and clean, brisk and biting and warm and welcoming all at once. This would be sexy as hell on a guy. ::Resolves to slather her husband the first chance she gets:: Dry down: Warmer and more sensual. This is definitely a sexy masculine scent that smells great on me, too, both of which are pleasant surprises. The dry down on this is ten times better than the wet stage. I'm duly impressed. Kudos to Beth! The bottom line: Another reason not to make preconceived judgments about scents. I expected to hate this, but it's sexy as hell.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Right off the bat I know this won't work for me. I don't do florals, especially lotus, which always ends up smelling like bubblegum on me. I'll still give Muse a fair chance, though. First sniff: Lime sprinkled florals with a tiny hint of bubblegum. This is exactly what I'd envisioned, which unfortunately means that I really don't care for muse. Wet on skin: Less lime and far more flowers. Even though I don't like florals, this is preferable when compared with the way Muse smelled in the vial. It's still not me, but it is better. Dry down: All florals now, mainly jasmine. I don't get the horrible bubblegum note I normally get from lotus, which is a good thing, but I still can't see myself enjoying Muse, unfortunately. It's just not me. The bottom line: Exactly what I'd expected, but not for me.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Venom is one of those scents that I've managed to completely ignore without knowing why. Opponax and galbanum are lovely but I'm guessing the jasmine and lime put me off when I first found BPAL. I'm actually quite curious about this now since it's one of those scents that got lost in the whole slew of scents BPAL has to choose from. First sniff: This reminds me somewhat of Queen of Spades. It's got a similar resin and purple fruit kind of smell, but with an added dose of jasmine. I actually like this quite a bit, which is surprising given how much I normally dislike jasmine. Wet on skin: Less like QoS now: heavier on the lime and jasmine and less resinous...it has that same odd powdery resin type of note that I recognize from Noir, although it's not exactly the same - more like in the same vein. I don't like this on me as much as I like it in the vial, which generally means it's a skin chemistry issue and not the scent itself. Dry down: Back to reminding me of a distant cousin of QoS. The two are definitely different, but they both have a similar feel that I like quite a bit. It's sophisticated smelling but not aloof. I like this. The bottom line: Another pleasant surprise. I'm amazed at how some oils turn out and Venom is one of those that caught me pleasantly off guard.

Origin: I got an imp of this from cricketshay. Preconceived notions: I didn't order this both because I'm a tomboy (I hate pink with a passion) and because practically everything in Pink Moon is something I either don't like or don't like to wear as perfume (i.e. sugar and strawberries - delicious, but not me in terms of perfume, normally), but I'm trying every LE that comes out because I just want to experience them all, regardless of the "fit." First sniff: Oh wow, that is sweet. I'm not generally a sweet scent kind of girl (with the exception of Sugar Skull and maybe a couple other scents), so that's not a good thing for me. I smell sugar, honey and some sort of...fluffy smelling florals if that makes sense, with a hint of strawberry in the background. Wet on skin: Less nauseatingly (again, for me, sweet scents tend to nauseate me) sweet and far more wearable in my mind. The honey and sugar are still the most prominent notes here, but the strawberries are putting in a sort of "strawberry ice cream" show in the background. The florals are very subdued with the strong sweet notes drowning out most of their punch (not a bad thing since I don't do florals, either) and the general impression I get is of hazy pink clouds of spun sugar and other sweet treats heaped over a bowl of fresh strawberry ice cream. Dry down: Heavier on the strawberry ice cream and less intense in the sugar and honey area. The florals are getting a bit of showtime, too, and for reasons inexplicable even to me I kind of like this. The bottom line: I'm not sure I'd ever really wear this (too girly), but it really smells rather lovely.

First sniff: My nose is stuffy, but I smell...citrus? It could be ginger since my nose confuses lemon and ginger on a regular basis. There's something slightly musty or dusty here, too, but I can't place it. It's a pleasant sort of smell that really is calming somehow. I'm desperately in need of some relaxation right about now, so hopefully Succor keeps up the good work. Wet on skin: It's not citrus I'm smelling. it's...kind of green smelling. It reminds me vaguely of Tzadikim Nistarim, so I'm thinking...olive? That sounds all wrong...well, not really. Succor means assistance and olive branches represent peace, but I'm probably reading way too much into that particular connection (I'm good at doing that). It's also a bit spicy smelling, almost like there's a hint of clove in here, too. It's actually surprisingly pleasant smelling. Dry down: Just like with Quietude, I'm not sure if it's the power of suggestion or a real aromatherapy response, but I feel wonderful. I've been extremely stressed out lately, but, wearing Succor, I feel very calm and relaxed. And to make a good thing even better, Succor smells wonderful once it dries, like clove and something I can't place, something deep green and ever-so-slightly herbal. The bottom line: Another winner from the Panacea series. Smells beautiful and works beautifully.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: There was a point where I would have assumed without hesitation that Sudha Segara would be a disaster on me, but after my positive experiences with White Rabbit, Milk Moon and Chaste Moon, I'm not making any assumptions about this one until I try it. First sniff: Similar to White Rabbit sans tea. I get milk and strong, lemony ginger with a slight bit of honey. I've learned to love White Rabbit, so this might work for me. Wet on skin: Ginger is by far the most prominent note now. It's sharp and lemony and very slightly spicy and it overshadows every other note in here once it hits my skin. it's not bad, but I prefer the scent of Sudha Segara in the bottle. Dry down: The ginger has mellowed and Sudha Segara once again smells similar to White Rabbit sans tea. This really is lovely in spite of what I may have thought at one time. The bottom line: Lovely, but a little too similar to White Rabbit to warrant keeping it (too much perfume, and besides, I love the tea note in White Rabbit), so it'll be finding a new home.

Preconceived notions: I've got high hopes for this one. There's not a single note in here that I'm not crazy about, so hopefully that translates into it being perfect for me. First sniff: A lot lighter than I'd envisioned. Somewhat like Loup Garou meets Neo-Tokyo meets Danse Macabre. It's lovely, but nowhere near as dark as I'd dreamed of it being. I smell bamboo very prominently here, followed by juniper, oakmoss and spanish moss and maybe a hint of spice. This is actually more wearable than I'd envisioned it being, now that I'm thinking about it. Wet on skin: The moss and pepper really come out once Whippoorwill hits my skin and it's much less fresh smelling than it was in the bottle. It's darker now and more marshy, which isn't a bad thing at all, just unexpected since it was so airy smelling in the bottle. Dry down: Spicy moss and wood. This is defintely more like what I'd imagined - dark and intense and ever-so-slightly spicy. So far, this is the only SIA scent that I've tried that's turned out well on me, but it's not really a surprise since this was the one that sounded most likely to work for me.

A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay. Preconceived notions: This was the first SIA scent that really jumped out at me note-wise since I'm an unrepentant incense lover so I'm really hoping this works for me, especially since the other SIA scents I've tried so far just haven't done much for me for some reason. First sniff: Incense but sweet and musty...almost like musty maple syrup dripped over incense. Normally I adore incense scents, but something about this just isn't...appealing to me, I suppose. I don't care for sweet scents and that combined with the mustiness is just...not quite working for me. Wet on skin: Better, but still sweet and musty. There's some sort of background note in here that's really just not working for me, but I have no clue what it is. None. I'm mystified. Dry down: The syrupy sweet note is gone, but this is still striking a bad note with me. I never thought I'd find myself saying that an incense blend wasn't me, but there's a first time for everything, I guess. This is a bit...cloying, I guess, for me. I prefer dry, heavy incense notes and Al Azif just doesn't fall into that category for me. It's more like...I think the best way to put it is that it smells like the dregs of a dozen different sweet, heady incenses left in the brazier. Not a bad thing necessarily, just not what I want. The bottom line: I never dreamed that I'd say it, but I've met an incense blend I don't care for. It's strangely disconcerting and more than a little sad.

First sniff: Gingersnaps it is! Quite similar to Gingerbread Poppet to my nose, only more intense and less cozy smelling somehow. It's a strange combination of sweetness and deliciously evil ginger goodness and so far I like it. Wet on skin: Lemon and gingersnaps. The lemon is most likely the ginger in this since my nose confuses fresh ginger and lemon for some reason. I'm not a lemon fan even if it isn't really lemon, which is a shame since I really wanted to like this. I'm not having very good luck with the SIA scents for some reason, but I was hoping this might be an exception. Dry down: Still lemony gingersnaps...like lemonade and a plate of crunchy cookies. I love lemonade but I don't want to smell like it, unfortunately. I have no idea why the SIA scents seem to hate me, but this one doesn't seem to be an exception like I'd hoped. The bottom line: I wanted to love this, but I just can't. Lemon is not my friend, even if it's ginger in the guise of lemon.

First sniff: Somewhat sweet, somewhat floral and somewhat light, sweet and woodsy. I'm thinking this will be too floral for me in spite of the lovely wood notes, but I won't know until I try. Wet on skin: Floral and citrusy (must be the bergamot I'm smelling). This is one of those semi-sweet, super heady floral blends, at least to a floral averse person such as myself, and it's definitely not me. I'm having the worst luck with the SIA scents and that really breaks my heart because I wanted to love them all. Dry down: Lots of sweet, heady almost polleny flowers. I can feel my sinuses gearing up for a full-out floral induced headache, which unfortunately means this needs to be washed off before I get another Migraine From Hell. The bottom line: Another SIA scent that hates me. Hopefully its new owner will love it more than I can.

Origin: Lagniappe from BPTP. First sniff: This is so familiar; it's right on the tip of my tongue. I keep thinking "herbs" when I smell this, like maybe rosemary or basil (I'm drawing a blank on this one for some reason), but there's something almost floral in the background, too. It's herbal and a little smoky and ever-so-slightly floral. Interesting, but I'm not quite sure if I like it. Wet on skin: I know this reminds me of something. I hate it when this happens. It's developing an odd sort of sassafras sweetness to it now that wasn't present in the vial and now I'm starting to think I really don't care for The Magician. Herbs are fine and so are sassafras-like notes, but together on me it's...odd, and now really my cup of tea. Dry down: Smells more like anise than anything now. Unfortunately, I hate anise, so that's not an improvement. It looks as though The Magician just isn't meant for me. The bottom line: I'm not having very good luck with the majority of the Tarot blends and The Magician is another strike-out (for me, anyway). Something in here just doesn't go well with...me, I guess.

Origin: Mini sample from the lovely Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't see there being any chance of my truly liking this. I may find it okay and pretty enough, but the chances of it being "me" are very small since I'm not a floral fan. First sniff: Yep, not me but nice enough in its own way. Florals normally equal "instant headache" for me, but so far Flower Moon is innocuous if generically floral to my nose (most flowers smell too much alike to distinguish between them to my nose). This is a bright, young, cheerful floral scent. One that screams flowers in tousled hair and tan legs showing under flirty skirts. Wet on skin: If I had to wear a floral blend (i.e. a floral scent other than, say, pure lilac), this might be it. It's not matronly or headache inducing or aloof and even though I don't do florals, I can see why this could appeal to someone. Miles away from my preferances, but very well done. Dry down: Sweet, heady florals, all tumbling over one another. I'm starting to get a vicious headache now, though, so it appears it's time to end this experiment. The bottom line: I'm not disappointed with Flower Moon; in fact, I'm slightly surprised by the fact that it's rather pretty to my flower-averse nose.

Chaos Theory XV Origin: 5mL courtesy of LunaSea. Preconceived notions: According to Luna, this is some sort of wood, so I'm expecting something...well, woodsy. First sniff: Smells herbal...somewhat like my "Ricola" Chaos, but different - less sweet and more woody smelling with a medicinal overtone. I've come across this medicinal note before, but I don't know what it is. Wet on skin: The medicinal note isn't as strong now, which is good because I was getting a headache from it. Now the wood that Luna mentioned is coming out. Smells like...oak to me. I'ts definitely not cedar, pine, balsam, rosewood, cypress or redwood (the wood notes I tend to see most often in BPAL scents) and it's too heavy to be birch. Smells just like a towering oak tree to me...the smell of rough bark and sun-warmed branches; no leaves, just comforting, solid wood. Dry down: There's a very faint herbal note here, but mainly it's just oak...like a living tree, not lumber. Very smooth and steady and comforting. Very simple, but I really like it and this stuff lasts. We're talking 12 hours or more with only a small application. The bottom line: Simple but comforting. Smells like childhood days spent perched in my neighbor's gnarled old oak tree. Love it!

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Chaos Theory CLVII (157) Origin: 5mL courtesy of mobilejessie. Preconceived notions: According to Jessie, this smells like either pine and rum or pine and vanilla, either one of which sounds damn good. First sniff: Ho-ly shit...this smells almost identical to my precious (original) Hellfire! :icon_eek: Just to be sure, I got out my Grog (buttered rum, just to compare) and my Hellfire and, sure enough, this could be Hellfire's twin. It's not butterscotch sweet like Grog, it's buttery like Hellfire although it doesn't have that slight cream note that Hellfire has. I can't tell for sure at the moment if this is rum or bourbon, but I'm in love. I definitely wasn't expecting this at all. There's the faintest hint of something that could be pine in the far, far background, but I barely notice it even when I'm looking for it. If this stays true to the bottled scent I'm going to pee my pants, I swear. Wet on skin: Oh my God, if I didn't know this wasn't Hellfire I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference! I'm not sure if it's skin chemistry or luck or divine intervention, but there's no pine to be found at this stage, just delicious buttery bourbon (I'm almost positive it's bourbon - it's not sweet enough or non-smoky anough to be rum). I may be hallucinating, but I swear I smell cream, too. Just a tiny dab, but beautiful. Dry down: Now there's an itty bit of pine, but the rest is a pure Hellfire doppelganger. Think The Hellfire Club meets a very sophisticated hunting club - a bunch of well-dressed gentlemen in frock coats sipping buttered bourbon and lounging around in a posh hunting lodge. I really like this. If I don't wear it directly on my skin, it's damn near identical to my beloved Hellfire and if I do wear it directly on my skin, it's a gorgeous variation on that theme. The bottom line: "The Hellfire Hunting Lodge and Debauchery Club." Words can't describe how thrilled I am right now. If I can't have a never-ending supply of Hellfire, at least I've got a full 5mL of this gorgeous blend to make up for it. I am in love. Previously reviewed by mobilejessie.

Chaos Theory CDLXXIV (494) Origin: A wonderful wedding surprise from the lovely Allamanda, who treats me far better than I deserve. First sniff: Fruit...I'm thinking pomegranate. In fact, I'm almost positive that that's what this is. It's not a note I was familiar with before BPAL but one I've gotten to know fairly well since I tried Swank, Persephone and Queen of Clubs. Deep and rich and fruity and beautiful. Wet on skin: Oh yeah, that's pomegranate and it doesn't smell like gummy bears (long story)! I think there may be a light incense note in here, too, because there's a subtle resinous smokiness in the background that's giving depth to the fruit. It reminds me of Queen of Spades in a way - lush fruit and incense. Dry down: First the pomegranate disappears completely, leaving just a very nice almost buttery incense note (probably myrrh since it tends to smell a tiny bit buttery to me) and then the pomegranate comes back in moderation and this Chaos blend returns to the "sort of like Queen of Spades" phase that it was in when it was wet. This is beautiful! This surprise just made my day. The bottom line: Gorgeous! Just when I'd given up hope of getting a Chaos blend that was me by pure chance (rather than knowingly swapping for it) along comes this little gem. I feel so lucky and loved right now.

I'd be interested. My hubby could do it (computer whiz that he is), but he's lazy and overworked as it is. So, yeah, if he doesn't mind your sharing, I'd be interested.

I don't think this has been reviewed yet, but this one is in a standard Lab-sized and shaped amber bottle. Origin: 5mL from the wonderful Pranashakti. Preconceived notions: Pranashakti informs me that this smells like molasses which sounds wonderful. Molasses is quite possibly my strongest foody scent weakness (and one of the only foody scents I'll wear and genuinely love), so I'm really looking forward to trying this - plus it's experimental! How fun is that? First sniff: Ooooh, that is molasses and maybe ginger, too. It smells like the Gingeroo (I think that's how it's spelled) cookies from Trader Joe's that taste so good. It's sweet and dark and heavy and indulgent smelling but not too foody for me. I'd compare it to Snake Oil in that it has that same heavy sweetness to it without being truly foody foody. Wet on skin: The oil is a light amber color and very thin, which I found out when I dumped far more than I'd planned on onto my wrists (I hate reducers). Pure molasses, I swear I don't smell anything else. This is that pure, heavy scent that seems to be either a "love it" or "hate it" note. Since I love it, I couldn't be happier. This reminds me of a cross between that raw sugar you find in organic food stores (which is basically dehydrated molasses) and the thick molasses syrup I use when I make gingerbread cookies. Dark and heavy and sticky smelling and delicious! Dry down: ::Insert drumroll here:: Molasses! This is extremely stable in terms of scent. There really hasn't been any change at all in this one. I'd love to know if there's anything in here aside from molasses (or something that smells exactly like molasses) because that's all I can smell. I've been trying to figure out if this was perhaps a prototype for something but I can't think of anything that even remotely fits the bill, so I guess this is pretty unique. The bottom line: I'd definitely buy this if it were a catalogue scent. I can see it not being for everyone (molasses seems to be an aquired taste - no pun intended), but I love it. EDIT: Grammar SNAFU. Edited to add the world's most belated update on a scent review: It's been over 5 years since I got this beauty and I've just rediscovered it. It's changed completely from what it once was into something equally spectacular, if not more awesome. When I pulled this out of my armoire (and figured out what it was, after having a breakdown trying to figure out which of my two unlabeled bottles was the experimental blend and which was the Chaos that lost its label; knowing that this had a reducer would have saved me a lot of trouble since the other bottle doesn't, but I didn't think to dredge up my review at the time) and sniffed it, I had a moment of "What is that?! It smells so familiar, but I just can't figure out what it is." Then it hit me. LUSH (ironically enough). Ruby Red Slippers/Potion. It's almost a dead ringer for it now! This is full on, super spicy carnation. I don't normally do carnation (or florals in general), but this is really, really good. It's sexy and unusual and really bold. Love it!

Chaos Theory CCXCV (295) Preconceived notions: My preliminary sniffing notes say "spearmint" and I remember this smelling like spearmint Lifesavers, which isn't a bad thing at all, so I'm hoping this will work since this is the last of my original CT2's. First sniff: Pure spearmint and nothing else (at least not to my nose). I love spearmint (it ranks with wintergreen as my favorite mint note) so that's fine by me. It's minty but not too sharp like peppermint can be. More soothing and peaceful smelling, although that may just be me being sentimental. Wet on skin: Sweet spearmint. This reminds me of my trip to Morocco when I was 13 - the first time I'd ever smelled or tasted mint tea and how delicious it was and how wonderful it smelled. This is that smell to my - sugared mint tea. Delicious! Dry down: Sweet spearmint and a touch of soft florals. This isn't terribly different than the bottle or wet stages, surprisingly. I was expecting another morpher based on my other Chaos blends, but this one's remarkably stable. This is the most appealing of all my original Chaos blends (at least to my nose) although I don't see myself wearing this terribly often. The bottom line: Very pretty, but I'd never use up the whole bottle, so I'm decanting myself an imp's worth and swapping the rest for something more "me."

Each bottle of Chaos Theory is truly unique, a fragrant fractal, and exercise in the joy of chance and uncertainty! Each is a one-of-a-kind, utterly random combination of scents, the composition of which is based on whim, mood and gut instinct. Chaos Theory CCLIII (253) Preconceived notions: The notes I have from my preliminary Chaos sniffing say "Flowers???" with (literally) that many question marks, so I really don't know what to expect. First sniff: No wonder there's so many question marks; this one's a toughie. It definitely strikes me as floral, but not in a sweet/heady/powdery way...more like an...ever-so-slightly bitter floral. I'm absolutely incompetent at identifying most floral notes (aside from rose, lilac, honeysuckle and a handful of others), so I can't really nail this one. Wet on skin: Eww, flowers! I mean really strong, heady, girly florals. I think there's rose in here...oh, yeah, that's rose and a whole army of other headache inducing (for me, mind you) flower notes. I don't like florals, and especially not rose. Dry down: There's definitely heavy rose in this and probably amber because this is behaving (and smelling) very similarly to the other BPAL rose/amber (think Spellbound) blends I've tried. Unfortuantely, that's not a good thing for me. Definitely not a floral girl. The bottom line: Strike three. This is absolutely, without a doubt, not me.

Chaos Theory XVII (17) Preconceived notions: My notes I made when I got my Chaos blends and gave them a quick sniff say "Ricola coughdrops, but sweeter." I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, to tell the truth. First sniff: This does remind me of Ricola coughdrops - sort of herbal/medicinal with something sweet in the background. This is really different than any of the other BPAL scents I've tried. Wet on skin: Whoa! Talk about quick change...now the Ricola note is gone and I get something rather foody smelling. Almost like caramel with an overtone of something sugary. This reminds me of another BPAL scent now, but I can't place it. This is so different on me than in the bottle. These new Chaos blends are real morphers. :icon_eek: Dry down: I wish I could pin this scent down. I know I recognize it, but I just can't put the name to it. On me, this is sweet and almost cookie-like with a dollop of caramel and a very faint herbal note in the background. I really don't like sweet scents, unfortunately, so I think this one's another swapper. The bottom line: This is a really surprising scent. I'm not sure if I really like it yet, but it takes the prize for the biggest about face I've encountered yet.

Preconceived notions: I'm a bit nervous about QoC. I love earth notes, myrrh and incense and I like red currant and vanilla (and amber if it doesn't turn into sour milk on me), but the pomegranate and rose worry me. I'm not particularly fond of either one with the exception of the rose note in Rose Red. First sniff: Mmm, dirt! Specifically, loamy dirt with a bit of incense, currant and vanilla in the far background. It's like Graveyard Dirt with the moss replaced by incense smoke and crushed red berries. This is gorgeous! Now if only I could be sure that it won't morph on me. Wet on skin: No real change yet, which is a good sign. The only difference I note is that the earth note is less intense and the vanilla is showing some strong throw now. This really is beautiful and if it stays like this, then I've got nothing to worry about. I never would have thought dirt and vanilla would go together, but that just goes to show that I shouldn't doubt Beth (as if I ever really would). Dry down: Now QoC smells like Zombi with a bit of vanilla and berry. It's got Zombi's faint, faint rose note rather than the full-blown, in-your-face rose that I was worried about and the pomegranate seems to be non-existant on me since I don't smell like gummy bears. This is beautiful. I'm regretting only getting one bottle of it now. The bottom line: Love at first sniff. This is so perfect for me. Now if only I had another bottle so I could wear it with abandon. ETA: After several hours of wear (4 or 5, probably), QoC suddenly turns into nothing but powdery rose on me, which is not a good thing. I think I jinxed myself by saying how much I liked it. Oh well, I guess one bottle will do me now.

Chaos Theory XXXII (32) Preconceived notions: When I first opened my CT2's, the impression I wrote down for this one was "burnt toffee" which doesn't sound particularly promising given my experiences with Gluttony and Hellcat (have I mentioned how much I hate those blends lately?), but I'm hoping it'll change for the better once I wear it. First sniff: Something in here is very similar to both Hellcat and Gluttony to my nose. "Burnt toffee" is absolutely right if I'm to judge. There's also a hint of something ever-so-slightly creamy in the far, far background that I can barely smell, even with my nose right up to the bottle. Wet on skin: Much less burnt smelling now, but still toffee. There's something slightly sharp in here, too, but I don't know what it is. Overall, this has the same effect as both Gluttony and Hellcat (for me, mind you): a sort of general ickiness that seems to be brought about my sticky sweet scents. Dry down: No real change from when it was wet, which is surprising. Burnt toffee and something slightly sharp and a tiny bit herbal, although I have a feeling that it's my skin chemistry bringing that note out since it only shows up once I put it on. The bottom line: Strike one. This is definitely not for me, unfortunately. This one's getting swapped.

Preconceived notions: There's almost zero chance of my not loving this one. I love tobacco and rum (and sugar in conjunction with rum) and I'm pretty fond of coconut, so I fully expect to love Elegba. First sniff: Good God, is that gorgeous! I assumed I'd really like Elegba (hence my buying a 10mL unsniffed), but...wow. Just wow. Sweet rum reminiscent of Grog, but with coconut instead of butter. I don't smell any tobacco yet, so I'm hoping it shows up once I put this on, but even as is, it's gorgeous. Wet on skin: Oh. My. God. I'm in love, pure and simple. I thought I adored Grog, but Elegba...oh my. The first thing I smell (and the strongest note) is sweet, sweet rum but the tobacco is starting to put in an appearance, too. This is so beautiful and exactly what I'd envisioned when I first read the description of this one. Perfect! Dry down: The super sweetness has died away leaving a slightly sugary rum and tobacco scent with just a tiny hint of coconut. This has some similarities to both Grog and Spooky, but it's definitely its own scent. This smells so good. None of the notes are overpowering and even the coconut manages to be present without making me smell like I'm slathered in suntan lotion. Elegba is perfectly balanced and perfectly delicious. The bottom line: I'm in love, pure and simple. Elegba is gorgeous and just what I'd envisioned.