Penance

First sniff: Salty smelling with leather in the background. For me, this is Jolly Roger meets De Sade. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well because most aquatic scents give me hives, but we'll see. Wet on skin: The salt note is the predominant one on me, although the leather is pretty intense. I'm not sure I like the combination...of course, I'm not sure that it's salt I'm smelling and not just my nose playing tricks with the leather. Dry down: Salty leather. This is a weird one for me and it's starting to burn, so I think it's safe to say Geburah doesn't like me. The bottom line: I don't think Geburah likes me, unfortunately. This one's probably going to be finding a new home. EDIT: I sniffed Geburah again and damned if that isn't leather in there.

First sniff: Is that sassafrass? That's certainly what it smells like to me. The oil's dark brown, so I expected something earthy but it smells like root beer to me, which almost invariably means sassafrass. I think I smell vanilla, too...it's almost like Tombstone sans cedar. Wet on skin: Still smells like sassafrass, which I happen to love, by the way. It smells like a root beer float, to be precise...like root beer (sassafrass) and vanilla. It's actually isomewhat similar to super fresh Snake Oil, only with a root beer note. I like this! Dry down: I smell like a frickin' root beer float and I love it! This is so weird and totally unexpected, but I like it! The bottom line: This one was a total surprise and I really like it. I think I like it even more than Chesed, which has been my favorite Sephiroth so far.

First sniff: Oh, man, this is familiar! It's...jasmine, I think, although I could be wrong. It reminds me of Temple of Dreams, but only in passing. Wet on skin: That's what I'm smelling...fennel! I don't know that there's actually fennel in here, that's just what I'm getting from it. It's more like Baku than Temple of Dreams now. Dry down: A sort of non-agressive fennel scent with maybe some jasmine and rose. I definitely smell rose now. I'll be the first to admit I could be entirely wrong about this one, but that's my best guess. The bottom line: I rather like this in spite of the fact that it smells (to me) like two things I don't much care for: jasmine and fennel.

First sniff: Whoa, is that strong! This smells damn near identical to the inside of an Indian trading post/general store we had in my hometown when I was growing up...more specifically, it smells exactly like my beloved mocassins from there that I wore until the soles were completely worn through. I love the smell of leather and this is a real nostalgia type of scent, but somehow I don't think it's "me." Wet on skin: More rawhide than leather and, again, it brings back lots of good memories, but it's not something that I want to smell like for reasons that I can't quite figure out. I normally like leather scents, but I think Dead Man's Hand is a little too intense for me. I never thought I'd say something was too strong for me, but there's a first time for everything. Dry down: I swear, it's like Beth bottled the scent of that store. It's uncanny and it really evokes good scent memories, but I just can't see myself wearing this. It's definitely got appeal, it's just not working for me as a perfume, unfortunately. The bottom line: This is dead on accurate and unbelieveably realistic, but it's just not me, so I'm going to get rid of one of my bottles and give the other one another chance before I make a final decision.

Preconceived notions: I'm fully prepared not to like this one. Having read QS's original review, I decided it was pretty unlikely that I'd like this, so if I don't it won't be a disappointment, at least. First sniff: Oh, wow, so far I like this! I smell red musk, vanilla and a hint of something spicy with some sort of floral in the background that's just enough to soften this without making it girly. This could work! Wet on skin: Way more floral now, but my skin does tend to amp up florals like crazy, so maybe that's why. It's not a bad floral, though, which is good. I'd prefer if it stayed true to the way it smelled in the bottle, but it's still not bad. I'm no good with florals, so I can't say what this is apart from saying it's floral and it's not rose, lilac or honeysuckle. Dry down: Huh? Wha...? Damn! Something in this has turned into pure baby powder once The Living Flame dries. I don't know what the culprit is, but whatever it is, it ruined this one for me. I can't tolerate smelling like baby powder, unfortunately. The bottom line: Another potentially great scent ruined by skin chemistry.

Preconceived notions: Juke Joint is one of those scents I was pining for without knowing it until it showed up on the site, if that makes sense. Sort of like "I'll know what I'm looking for when I find it"...that kind of thing. I'm really looking forward to trying this, but I'm hoping it's not all mint on me. I love the smell of bourbon, so hopefully it comes through in this. First sniff: Oh, yeah, that's what I wanted! This is dead on accurate! The mint is definitely noticeable, but it's not all I smell. The bourbon is definitely there right behind the mint, giving it some depth and making it richer. This smells like the perfect summer scent for me! Wet on skin: The bourbon note really picks up once this hits my skin, which is just what I'd hoped for. The only other mint julep perfume I've tried was Demeter's and it smelled like pure Doublemint gum, but this is totally different. It's the perfect mix of bourbon, sugar and mint, in that order. This is absolutely, utterly gorgeous! Dry down: Almost pure, smoky bourbon and sugar, which is fine by me. I was worried that this would be too strong on the mint, but it's perfect. The bourbon has a slight smokiness that's just right and the sugar is sweet without being too sweet. I feel like a southern belle wearing this and I have a feeling it'd be sexy as hell on a guy, too. The bottom line: Juke Joint not only met my expectations, it exceeded them. The perfect mix of bourbon, sugar and mint. I'm in love.

Origin: I was gifted with two imps of this on the same day by emunymph and the BPAL powers that be (read: lagniappe)...it must be a sign! Preconceived notions: I'm a bit worried about the iris in this since florals aren't really my thing, but the rest of the notes are right up my alley. First sniff: Sweeter and much less intense in the resin department than I was expecting. I think it must be the iris I'm smelling that's throwing me off. Underneath the sweetness there's a hint of herbs and a bit of incense, but it's nowher near as intense as I'd hoped for. Wet on skin: That's better. On my skin, the iris mellows quite a bit and lets the herbs and sandalwood through. This (once again) reminds me of another BPAL scent, but I can't place it. Anubis, maybe? I honestly can't remember, but it's familiar. Dry down: Resin and herbs but with a sort of waxy floral to it. This is actually quite nice, in spite of the florals. It has three of my favorite resins in it and the herbs give it a nice depth that sets it apart from my other BPAL resin blends. The bottom line: Better than I'd expected although not as strong in the sandalwood department as I'd hoped for. I really like the dry down on this one, though, once the iris mellows out.

Origin: I got an imp of this from oatmealneko. Preconceived notions: I love myrrh and clove and I'm pretty keen on dragon's blood but I'm not sure about the cherry. I have a feeling this could fall into the "It'd be great if it weren't for __________" category. First sniff: So far so good. The clove and myrrh really balance out the cherry and the almost-cherry smell that dragon's blood has. This is a dark red scent for me, not a bright crimson red the way dragon's blood scents normally are and I definitely prefer it this way. Wet on skin: More cherry-like now but still nice. The myrrh is really coming out nicely and counteracting the cherry note so that it doesn't take over. The clove is lending a nice, comforting spicy note to it, too, and rounding it out. So far, I think this is hands down my favorite BPAL dragon's blood scent yet. Dry down: I really like this! I was worried about the cherry in here, but it's not even asserting itself now. All I'm getting is clove, myrrh and dragon's blood and they smell gorgeous together. The bottom line: Gorgeous! I love the spiciness and the sweetish incense in this and I'm glad the cherry wasn't overpowering.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I don't normally do florals or fruit, but this sounds like it could be pretty. I actually like honeysuckle and white musk and I'm learning to like pear, so it may actually work. I know the last thing I tried with stargazer lily in it (Grandmother of Ghosts) was gorgeous, so I'm curious about whether this will work or not. First sniff: As much as I dislike florals, I like Juliet so far. I smell honeysuckle and pear for sure and probably sweet pea, but I'm not too good at identifying most flowers by smell. It's a soft, unoffensive floral like...well, like honeysuckle, but slightly different in a way I can't describe. This actually has potential. Wet on skin: Honeysuckle and pear are still dominating but the musk is creeping in, too, slowly but surely. It's actually very pretty, even to me, a self-admitted non-girly girl and hater of florals. I can definitely see myself wearing this...I'd even consider wearing it to my wedding. Dry down: Juliet has settled down into a lovely white musk scent with a hint of pear and some sort of floral that I can't place. This is feminine without being overwhelmingly so and I actually like it quite a bit, which amazes me since it's the antithesis to the sort of scents I normally wear. I'm glad I tried this instead of passing on it without testing it. The bottom line: I don't know if I'll wear this often, but it really is lovely.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Huh, that's weird...this reminds me of F54, which must be because of the combination of alcohol, rose and musk. They're more like cousins than sisters, but it's still noticeable. I smell the wine and myrrh most prominently, but the musk and rose are lurking in the not-so-far background. Wet on skin: I swear, this is like poor man's F54. I never would have imagined the two would be similar in any way, shape or form, but Lilith definitely is similar. It's not as rich or expensive smelling as F54 is, but that's why it's the poor man's version. Dry down: This has a much sweeter dry down than F54 does, but they're still variations on the same theme. This is like F54 plus sweet myrrh, only lighter and less dramatic smelling. I really didn't expect to like this since I don't like roses and black musk is finicky on my skin, but I do like this! The bottom line: For me, this is poor man's Formula 54. I doubt I'll ever run out of my precious F54 stockpile, but if I do Lilith will be the replacement.

Origin: Astrobabe gifted me with an imp of this. First sniff: I smell dragon's blood very strongly in this. It's almost cherry-like but definitely dragon's blood. I don't really smell anything else in here although I can tell there's more to it, somehow. Wet on skin: Dragon's blood is still the dominant note, but there's definitely something else here, too...it's vaguely woody, although I'm not sure that it is wood of any kind. It could very well be something else entirely that just has a woody quality to it if that makes sense. The initial cherry sweetness has died down, which is good because cherries remind me of almonds and almonds are my arch-nemesis. Dry down: Wow, that's...different. Now I'm getting dragon's blood and what smells like basil, which is a little weird. For some reason, this reminds me of Temple of Dreams with dragon's blood added. The longer this sets on my skin, the more prominent the herbal note (whatever it may be) becomes, until it's the dominating note. The bottom line: I'm not sure how much I like this, but I'm going to hang onto it for a while and give it another shot before I make a final decision.

Preconceived notions: I've been dying to try this since I saw it on the list of up-and-coming scents and when it went live and I saw the description I was even more desperate to get my hands on it because it sounded perfect for me. Nocnitsa has practically everything I love in a perfume (sans the resin notes I love) and I love the story behind it (morbid girl that I am), so I just know that I'm going to love this. First sniff: So much lighter and less oppressive than I'd imagined, but so beautiful! I normally wear very dark forest scents and I've learned that most people around me don't care for them (that's the nice way of saying they think I stink ), which means I end up feeling like a leper ( ), but Nocnitsa is different. It's certainly a forest scent and it definitely smells of towering pines, fallen pine needles, damp mosses and the forest floor, but it's so much lighter and more wearable than something of that nature would normally be. This is gorgeous! Wet on skin: As soon as it hits my skin, the fir mellows immediately, making it less astringent and much more subdued. The only way I can explain it is to say that if Nocnitsa in the bottle is a fir forest by day, then Nocnitsa on my skin is a fir forest by night. It's got an almost spicy earthiness to it now, mixed with a much more mellow version of the pine that was so prominent in the bottle, but it manages to pull off the transition to a darker blend (although I wouldn't classify it as being a truly dark blend even now) without becoming too dark or too oppressive. Dry down: Lots of lovely earth and moss with a touch of pine that makes it lighter and more wearable. This is absolutely gorgeous. I loved BPAL's forest blends before, but none of them (not even my beloved Loup Garou) can hold a candle to Nocnitsa. It manages to combine all the best parts of BPAL's other forest scents without having any of their weaknesses. I almost get the feeling that Nocnitsa is the result of a process of Darwinian selection and that really appeals to the science geek in me. The bottom line: Nocnitsa is gorgeous. I knew I would like this, but I had no idea I'd love it this much. This is definitely in the top 5 of all the BPAL scents I've tried. I'm definitely going to need another bottle...or 10.

I just got an imp of Scherezade as lagniappe and whoa, mama is it different than the old one I have! My old one is yellow and smells mostly like saffron with a hint of musk. My new one is dark, dark red-brown to the point of being almost black and it smells extremely musky. I like them both, but that it was a pretty big surprise to see how different they looked and then smelling them.

Whoa, that's nifty! Even if I hate the scent I might keep mine for the label.

What the heck? I only typed that in once... ::Whistles Twilight Zone music:: That's downright bizarre.

Living Flame has a special label? Ooh, I want to see it! What's it look like? EDIT: The forum is possessed, apparently.

Hmm...I don't think there is, but I could be wrong. Getting prototypes is a fairly common occurance, though, so you might get one. I just got one in my last order, but it's one I've tried before and that makes he horribly sick because it has almonds in it (Decadence).

Aww, I know that feeling. We were all neophytes once. Every now and then there'll be reviews for a newly released scent, but only if people had received the prototype version and reviewed it before it was released (like what happened with The Lion).

Then you're out of luck until people start receiving it and reviewing it. That's one of the unfortunate things about new scents...no reviews.

Chaos Theory XXXII Origin: I got an imp of this from kmasden. Preconceived notions: I believe this was described as fruity and floral with some sandalwood, so I'm curious to see if I like it or not since I love sandalwood but don't normally go for fruit or florals. First sniff: Pears! This smells absolutely, 100% like the pears that the people down the street used to grow when I was little. I get a sudden image of trying to fnd fallen pears that hadn't already been claimed by the wasps and yellowjackets because I couldn't reach to pick it. This is really pretty even though I don't normally like fruit scents. Wet on skin: Hmm, this isn't all pear now...there's definitely some sort of florals in here, too, although I'm at a total loss to name them. Florals aren't my forte, unfortunately. It's not too floral, which is good, but it's just enough to keep this blend from being one-dimensional. I like this a lot, surprisingly. Dry down: The pear is the dominant note again, with the florals taking a far backseat. I'm starting to smell what could very well be the sandalwood I was hoping for, although it's not quite clear yet...if I had to say what kind of sandalwood, I would say the white variety without hesitation. This definitely isn't red mysore sandalwood. I have a feeling that it's going to get stronger the longer it's on my skin. The bottom line: Another gorgeous Chaos blend. I haven't tried a single one yet that I didn't love. Previously reviewed by quantum spice, inkstone, kimmer and Jasminepearls.

Origin: jj_j was kind enough to gift me with a 5mL of this for my wedding. Thank you, hon; you saved the day! My impressions: Opening the bottle is instant nostalgia. I'm 5 years old again, climbing the lilac trees (and they were trees, too, not bushes) in our backyard. This is so perfect I can't even begin to describe it. There are so many happy memories attached to this scent and I'm almost on the verge of (happy) tears from the memories its bringing back. I thought I'd smelled realistic lilac perfumes before, but jj's mother is right, they really do pale in comparison. All those other scents I've been amazed by really are just perfume, but this...this is like closing my eyes and being back in my old backyard, whiling the day away perched in our lilac trees. I can't even begin to describe how happy this makes me. I know this is the perfect scent for my wedding.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I've considered buying an imp of this more than once, so I'm glad I get a chance to try it...I'm terrible about waffling on scents that I'm not sure about. My family is mainly Scottish, so I've been curious, plus I love blackberries although I'm not sure I want to smell like them. First sniff: Good God is that gorgeous! Glasgow isn't anywhere near as fruity as I'd feared. It's more like heather with a faint touch of true blackberry - none of that artificial BBW blackberry here. This smells like the real thing wafting over fields of heather. I'm so glad I tried this one! Wet on skin: The blackberry is still taking a backseat to the heather, which is just fine by me. I love the way this smells. It's very calming and clean in the same way that Oisin is clean. I have a feeling this would smell gorgeous on a guy, too, although you might have to resort to pretending there's no fruit in it to get it on them. Dry down: Glasgow is remarkably stable. It smells pretty much the same from imp to dry down: heather with a light touch of true blackberry. On me, this is similar to Oisin, but with the musk replaced with blackberry. I really like this a lot. The bottom line: This is really very wearable without my having to worry about smelling like I was attacked by a giant piece of fruit. I'm definitely getting a bottle of this at the next update.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: This smells similar to Somnus to my nose. Lavender and spice but no lotus, which is good. I really expected something more...lotusy from this, I think...maybe something vaguely bubblegum like with a hint of herbs and spices, but this is almost strictly herbs and a hint of spice. Wet on skin: Now Paris smells more like Temple of Dreams...very similar, in fact. I don't now what spices are in this, but to me it smells like basil, which could very well be my imagination running wild since spices normally means something like cinnamon or clove or fennel. Either way, this smells quite nice in the same way that Temple of Dreams smells nice. Dry down: Paris is almost identical to Temple of Dreams on me. I happen to really like Temple of Dreams, but that's sort of the kiss of death for Paris, unfortunately. I'm trying to cut down on extremely similar scents because my collection is getting out of control, so Paris would have stood a better chance if it had been a little more unique. The bottom line: This is practically identical to Temple of Dreams on me, so while I like it, it's going to have to find a new home since I don't need two almost identical scents right now with my collection expanding at an exponential rate.

Origin: Astroabe kindly gifted me with an imp of this. First sniff: I can't remember what everyone else has said about this, but for me The Heirophant is soft and warm and comforting smelling. I smell cinnamon and maybe cloves...warm, cozy spices at any rate. This is so gorgeous. It's familiar somehow, too, but I don't know why... Wet on skin: I know why this smells so familiar now. It's smells like a very close relative of Three Witches. I never really got the pepper note from Three Witches, so it was just cinnamon and clove on me and that's almost exactly what The Heirophant smells like on me. Dry down: If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was wearing Three Witches. This is extremely close on my skin although there's something else here, too, something slightly woody smelling, although I can't pin it down. I love this and I like it even more since it's a damn good stand-in for my beloved Three Witches. The bottom line: I need a bottle of this, pure and simple. This would make a great winter scent for curling up with a good book in front of a fire. Gorgeous; just gorgeous.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Harlequin. First sniff: This is beautiful and extremely familiar but I can't quite place it. It smells vaguely like pineapple upside down cake and some sort of incense wiht maybe a sweet wood note, but I'm not sure about any of that. It's one of those scents that I know I recognize but just can't quite place...I'm sure if someone told me what was in this it would be instant recognition, but for the moment my impressions will have to do. Wet on skin: I'm almost positive that's pineapple although it seems a little incongruent (to me, anyway) with the namesake of this particular scent. There's something else here that's wavering between a floral and a sweet smelling wood note and a hint of incense in the background, but I could be mistaken since it's so far back and so covered by the other notes. Dry down: This is so familiar! Why can't I remember this? It's like having a name right on the tip of my tongue...it's not so fruity anymore and the (supposed) resin note has gotten stronger, but it's still naggingly familiar. The best way I can describe it without getting into specifics is as a slightly fruity (pineapple) resiny/wood blend with maybe a hint of pear and possibly some florals. I'm really curious about what's actually in this because it's gorgeous. The bottom line: I can't wait for Baba Yaga to be released. This is beautiful (if elusive)!