Penance

You're going to love the Sweet Clove single note, Luxuria. It's gorgeous! I'd say Three Witches and Wrath are good choices. March Hare smells like apricot and not much else on me, but it is gorgeous, so you may want to give it a shot, too.

Doooo it! Penitence is gorgeous! It smells exactly like a Catholic church after mass. I can't get enough of it.

First sniff: I smell ylang-ylang, honey and something vaguely resinous (the labdanum, I presume). This reminds me of Le Petit Mort with an added resin note and I'm not sure I'm going to like this since Le Petit Mort bordered between my liking it and feeling queasy when I smelled it. Wet on skin: Hmm, I can't even smell this on myself. That's a little weird. I imagine it'll come back in a moment, that happens sometimes. There...all I'm getting is ylang-ylang and a hint of honey now and none of the resin note I was hoping for. This is nice enough, but I would prefer if it were stronger in the resin department. Dry down: This is pretty much the same dry as it was wet. I think my skin chemistry may be wreaking havoc with Skuld, which is sad because I loved Urd and had high hopes for her sister. The bottom line: I'm pretty sure I can chalk this failure up to bad skin chemistry, but it's still disappointing.

First sniff: I think my sense of smell is off today. The first thing I smell in Anubis is what smells like an orange or maybe a clementine right after it's been peeled but not sectioned. If I concentrate, I get myrrh and a bit of herbalness but mainly I get that strange, slightly bitter orangey sweet citrus kind of scent. Wet on skin: A lot more myrrh now and that's a very good thing. There's still that fruit note here, too, but Anubis is more resinous smelling now. The balsam is also quickly coming out, giving a very nice soft wood note to the blend. I think I expected something stronger, but Anubis still doesn't disappoint. Dry down: It's hard to pick out individual notes now. Anubis smells like wood and incense smoke to me with a slight deep herbal note in the background. These aren't light herbs, they're strong, richly fragrant dried herbs. I really like this a lot! The bottom line: Anubis is lighter than I'd anticipated, but beautiful regardless. On me, it's a wood/incense/rich herb scent that's beautiful without being overpowering. Definitely a winner.

Origin: I was gifted with a 5mL of this by the lovely Sigh. First sniff: Very clean smelling; that's the first thing that pops into my mind when I sniff this. I smell musk (a very light, airy musk) and herbs right out of the bottle. This is definitely a gender neutral scent. I can see this being equally gorgeous on a man or a woman. Wet on skin: Light and fresh and clean smelling. This is gorgeous! The florals are starting to come out now, but they're very soft and subdued, like apple blossoms, definitely not like flower shop flowers. The herbs are still the most prominent note but the gorgeous barely there white musk is right behind it. This reminds me of a meadow in the summertime with the birds singing in the trees and the grass waving in the breeze. Gorgeous. Dry down: Oisin seems to be one of those scents that just blends in with my natural smell and that's a good thing! It's natural smelling and very clean and unoffensive (even to my mother, who's extremely sensitive to perfume). This would be a perfect scent for someone who doesn't normally wear perfume or cologne. The bottom line: This is gorgeous! I normally like dark, heavy scents, but Oisin is gorgeous even in my opinion. It's soft, subdued and clean smelling and I'm sure it'd be as gorgeous on a man as it is on me!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Civet is the first thing that jumps out at me when I open the imp. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I hate civet. It doesn't smell too bad in the bottle, but on me, it's pure cat pee, so I don't have high hopes for Debauchery, but I'll try it anyway, just in case. Wet on skin: Cat pee and opium. It's not Beth's fault that this one smells bad on me, civet is just my skin's natural enemy. If it weren't for the civet, I'd likely love this blend, but as it stands, I smell like an expensive Egyptian rug in an opium den that's just been peed on by a very angry tomcat and it's just not pleasant. At all. Dry down: The cat pee smell has gotten even stronger, totally overpowering everything else in this blend. This is getting washed off immediately. I keep telling myself I'll never let civet touch my skin again, but I had to try Debauchery just in case it was the exception to the "cat pee rule." Sadly, it's not. The bottom line: Civet is not my friend. At all. I really need to stop believing that there might be an exception to that rule.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: I expected this to be much darker for some reason. I smell bergamot, apple and vanilla first and then teak, musk and a hint of patchouli. I don't think I'm going to like this, to tell the truth. Something about it (probably the neroli) isn't sitting right with me right now. Wet on skin: No change from the way it smelled in the imp. Desire is somewhat fruity, somewhat musky and instantaneously headache inducing. It's the neroli that's doing it, I know it is, but it still surprises me somewhat. I'm quickly learning to avoid neroli, but I keep hoping that it will work for me. Dry down: Oh wow, I'm apparently allergic to something in this because I'm breaking out in hives where I applied the oils. Before I was this off, this is what it smells like now: rose, neroli, bergamot and that strange powdery version of musk that my skin likes to create. The bottom line: It's a good thing I dislike Desire because I'm apparently allergic to it. This is getting swapped with a quickness.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceived notions: I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I was to find this thrown in with my last order. I love bats, but I've been waffling over ordering Chiroptera since I'm not a floral person, but I'm so happy I get to try this and finally make up my mind! First sniff: Ooh, I actually like this! It's a very light, unoffensive, slightly sweet floral with a soft herbal undertone that I love. This is just herbal enough to really appeal to me without being too herbal for most other people to tolerate, I think. I can easily see myself wearing this one, even though it's a floral blend. Wet on skin: Vaguely lemony, but mainly herbal and floral. These aren't in-your-face flowers, they're much more relaxed and subtle and don't induce the typical cringe that florals generally cause in me. I don't normally like lemon, either, but somehow this works. Dry down: The lemon is dying down now and I get a combination of herbal/astringent/sweet floral that somehow works even though it's somewhat bordering on "arthritis rub" from the astringent note (whatever that is). Come to think of it, that's exactly what this smells like on me: the arthritis rub my mom uses! I'm sure that doesn't sound good, but somehow it's actually quite nice. The bottom line: Much less heady floral than I expected. I really like this for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceive notions: Sadly, this one's not looking promising right from the start: lotus either turns into bubblegum or sour milk on me, amber almost always turns into sour milk and I don't normally like florals or citrus unless it's grapefruit or blood orange. I'll still give this the chance it deserves, though! First sniff: Wow, that's actually not bad, really. I'm not sure it's me, but it's not bad. I smell amber nad a sort of general citrus with a hint of soft flowers in the background. This is definitely innocent smelling, which may be why it's probably not for me. Wet on skin: Amber, as usual, leaps to the surface as soon as Forbidden Fruit hits my skin, but the citrus and lotus are right behind it. No sour milk, which is good, but so far Forbidden Fruit isn't really up my alley. It's almost bubblegum sweet (the lotus, no doubt) but with a heavy dose of amber and a burst of citrus, as well. Dry down: I smell like bubblegum. Bazooka Joe, to be exact, complete with that powder that's on it when you open the wrapper. I hate bubblegum, as anyone who knows about my hatred for Jailbait is aware of. This is definitely not me by any stretch of the imagination. The bottom line: Forbidden Fruit and I are not destined to be friends. On me, it turns into pure, powdery bubblegum, which makes me very sad and somewhat queasy.

First sniff: This is gorgeous! I love spicy scents and Three Witches is everything I ever wanted in that sort of scent. This smells like opening a spice cabinet and breathing in as deeply as you can. It's comforting and warm and very inviting smelling. I love this already! Wet on skin: This reminds me of Wrath, quite a bit, with the strong cinnamon note and the pepper in the background, but this is even more gorgeous than Wrath is. The cinnamon is the most prominent when I first put Three Witches on, but almost immediately the clove starts coming to the surface and making Three Witches deeper and more multi-dimensional. This smells like a cross between cinnamon sticks and Constant Comment tea, which happens to be my favorite. Dry down: Three Witches is still more like Two Witches on me. I get very strong cinnamon and clove but only the faintest hint of pepper. That's fine by me, though, because it seems the smell of white pepper isn't as easy to pull off as clove and cinnamon are, even though I love it. I love this! The bottom line: The perfect spice scent. It's strong, it's warm an it's comforting smelling. I'm seriously considering getting a bottle of this.

Here's a couple more comparisons: Has No Hanna (more soapy) - Eternal (no soap) Red Mysore Sandalwood single note - Anne Bonny (of course, it has red sandalwood in it, but the two are damn near identical)

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I'm woefully inept at identifying floral notes apart from rose, lilac, honeysuckle and sometimes gardenia (I only know that one because my mom loves it), so all I can imagine for this scent is "flower shop." I'm not expecting to like this because I don't do floral notes, but the Lab has graced me with it and try it I will! First sniff: Yeah, that's flowers alright. See, I told you I was ridiculously unskilled in this area. This actually reminds me a lot of Has No Hanna. The two are practically identical, only Has No Hanna has a soapy note that Eternal is lacking. All I can say about this apart from the comparison to Has No Hanna is that this is a true "flower shop" kind of smell, not a garden or wildflower kind of smell...it's...white smelling and slightly sweet like honeysuckle, but there's definitely some heady florals in here, too, including my mom's beloved gardenia (which I can't stand for some reason). Wet on skin: Has No Hanna without the soap! I swear, that's what it smells like! I don't wear Has No Hanna for the scent (I actually apply it where I don't have to smell it on myself), so while I do wear it, it's not my kind of scent and neither is Eternal. This is a very feminine and soft-edged kind of scent and I'm sure other people would find it lovely, but florals really aren't my thing, personally. Dry down: No real change from when it was wet. This one's very stable. It's essentially the same from imp to dry down: a riot of flowers like a hundred wedding bouquets all thrown together. It's giving me a headache. Time to end this little experiment. The bottom line: Think Has No Hanna sans soap and you've got a good idea of what Eternal smells like. This is so not me that it's not even funny, but I'm sure someone with more feminine taste would find it lovely.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceived notions: This one's intrigued me for quite a while, but I never got up the nerve to try it until the Lab chose to gift me with it. I love mint and I'm very curious about wormwood (no idea what it smells like, but it sounds fascinating) but I hate anise and lemon, so this is probably going to be a love it or hate it kind of scent. First sniff: Okay, so far so good! I smell mint, a hint of anise and something bitter smelling (is that the wormwood?). All in all, this is quite nice. The anise is very faint so it's alright for now and the mint is lovely. I'm interested in that bitter note, though...every time I try and pin it down it hides behind the other notes. Wet on skin: Very unusual. This one's a quick-change artist for sure. First I get mint, then anise, then lemon, then cardamom, then something floral and finally something slightly bitter and the lemon, all in a matter of seconds. My skin tends to amp up lemon, so right now I smell like Lemon Pledge and...something, which isn't good. Dry down: Lemon, lemon and more lemon. It's taken over the entire scent, drowning everything else out to the point where it's all I can smell, which makes me very sad. Absinthe just doesn't like me, apparently. The bottom line: Another scent ruined by lemon. It's quickly becoming one of those notes I resent because it has an unfortunate habit of ruining scents that are perfectly lovely otherwise.

Origin: I got LadyLatemar's 5mL! My impressions: The first thing that pops into my mind when I smell this is "Anne Bonny!" This is the gorgeous sandalwood note that's made Anne Bonny my alltime favorite BPAL scent. It's almost cedar-like and very strong. I love, love, love this! Just a word to those who want to try Red Mysore Sandalwood and can't get ahold of any: this is almost identical to Anne Bonny (or at least Anne Bonny once it's aged some), so if you can't get the single note, the lovely Ms. Bonny is a very good replacement.

Chaos Theory XX Origin: I was gifted with an imp of this by the ever wonderful Allamanda. First sniff: Mmm, Pam certainly knows me taste in perfume! This is right up my alley! This is rum, pure and simple, like I just opened a bottle of Captain Morgan's and took a big ol' whiff. I love, love, love the smell of rum. This is gorgeous! Wet on skin: I love how this Chaos Theory is labeled XX and it smells like booze. For some reason, that strikes me as really funny (no, I haven't been drinking, I swear!). On me, this is more like spiced rum than plain old dark rum like it was in the imp. This is almost exactly the same as taking a big old snoot of Captain Morgan's Private Stock...not that I've ever done that. Dry down: Softer and creamier than when it was wet, but still definitely rum. I think there's some sort of wood note in here, too, if I'm not mistaken, although I can't tell what it is...could be cedar or birch maybe. Whatever it is, it's lovely. Now it smells like the rum and the barrel it's aged in. I feel like a pirate wearing this. Yarr! The bottom line: I wish I'd been around for the Chaos Theories...every one I've tried has been utterly gorgeous in its own way and XX is no exception. It smells like rum and aged wood (oak, maybe?) and it might have been made especially for me, it's so perfectly suited to my tastes.

Chaos Theory LXXXVIII Origin: I got an imp of this from cluna. First sniff: Oh, God...butterscotch! This is like Grog's predecessor right out of the imp. It's pure, rich, gorgeous butterscotch and nothing else. I'm sure there must be something else in here or else it wouldn't be a random combination...unless it's a random combination of butterscotch and more butterscotch. Wet on skin: Whew, this stuff is potent! I only put on a tiny dab, but I smell like I'm slathered in butterscotch syrup. This is still pure, rich butterscotch and it reminds me quite a bit of Grog in its wet stage...this is Grog mixed with English toffee ice cream syrup and in spite of my aversion to sweet scents, I'm in love. Dry down: The longer this is on, the sweeter and richer it gets. It's changed from butterscotch to English toffee syrup now and it just so happens that that's my one sweets weakness apart from white chocolate. This really appeals to the side of me that wants to be more frivolous and less earthy. The bottom line: This is definitely a keeper! I wish I had the whole bottle instead of just an imp! Previously reviewed by astrid.

Hearth is clear and smells like maraschino cherries in the bottle. EDIT: I see I'm too late, but what else is new?

Origin: I originally got an imp of this as lagniappe from the Lab in my very first order and swapped it. But then people started comparing it to Mistletoe and I had to try it again, so I got another imp from ivyandpeony. First sniff: Very green and I don't just mean the color of the oil. Hemlock smells as green as it looks. I smell pine and possibly eucalyptus, but there's also something harshly herbal about Hemlock that prickles my nose and makes me feel like I'm about to sneeze. I'm not sure whether this is going to work for me or not. Wet on skin: This has a very medicinal edge to it that reminds me of Vicks Vaporub and not in a good way. I normally love that kind of smell (and the real deal, too), but somehow Hemlock isn't sitting well with me. I don't know what it is about it (I should love this blend) but somehow it's not only failing to captivate me much the same way it did the first time I tried it, but it's actually off-putting and I'm not sure why. Dry down: This still has that weird herbal poultice smell that's been making me uneasy since I opened the imp and it's showing no signs of improvement, sadly. I wanted to love this, I really did, but it's just not to be, apparently. The bottom line: I tried it, I swapped it, I tried it again, and I'll be swapping it again. Hemlock and I just aren't meant for one another, apparently.

Our olfactory tribute to the film genre: a dark, moody, brooding scent that embodies moral ambiguity, alienation, and soul-wrenching cynicism. A complex, seamy blend of Lily of the Valley, opoponax, myrrh, black rose and plum with a slithering twist of clove, deep plum and star jasmine. Origin: I got a shortie of this from the ever wonderful SilverAngel. First sniff: This smells almost exactly like a scented talc my mom used to wear when I was little! It's one of my more vivid memories of my early childhood: the way she smelled in the mornings when she put her talcum powder on. I definitely smell the rose here...it's a very powdery rose that smells very much like baby powder, but there's also somethin else here...the clove and myrrh, I think. It's hard to tell over the rose, but that's what it seems to be. Wet on skin: The powder is less prominent now and I can really smell the myrrh and clove now that it's receded somewhat. This still smells almost exactly like that childhood scent memory of my mother...it's so close it's almost uncanny! This smells sophisticated but approcheable to me, like a wealthy older woman who's known hardship and never lost touch with her roots, if that makes sense at all. Dry down: Noir has dried into a lovely scented talc kind of scent that's lovely even if it is miles away from my normal scent choices. I can definitely see this being a special occassion scent for me. This definitely isn't an everyday scent; at least not for me. The bottom line: Sophisticated but not snooty. This definitely isn't an everyday scent, but it's lovely all the same.

First sniff: Pure nostalgia in a bottle. This is the scent of summer days playing in the backyard with clean sheets drying on the clothesline. It's the scent of running through those sheets and inhaling their smell. I've always loved the smell of sun-dried clean cotton and Dirty is that smell trapped in a tiny little bottle. Wet on skin: Dirty is more proof that simple is sometimes best when it comes to perfume. This scent is pure simplicity: the smell of clean white sheets baking dry in the sun. It's the smell of detergent and fabric softener and sun warmed cotton. Dry down: I don't know how Beth does it, but this is dead on. I've smelled a lot of "clean cotton" scents and none of them compare to Dirty. This is pure perfection...it's beautiful and safe smelling. To me, this smells like home and everything I associate with it. The bottom line: Dirty is exactly what it's supposed to be: sun-dried clean cotton sheet. This is so beautiful. I love this. I'm glad I've got a 5mL coming!

First sniff: This smells like Snow White to me, right out of the bottle for some reason. It's very creamy and soft and white smelling but with a hint of vanilla and honey. If I inhale shallowly, I can smell the linen (it's easy to pick out since I just spent 10 minutes sniffing Dirty) and a bit of ginger. So far, there's no tea to my nose, just creamy milk and honey and ginger...this reminds me more than anything of being put to bed at night when I was small: the smell of clean bedsheets and what I imagine warm milk with honey might smell like. It's a comforting scent, but strange because I expected a strong tea note in White Rabbit and don't detect any tea at all. Wet on skin: There's the tea! I knew it was hiding in there somewhere. I also smell lemon for some reason even though there's none listed in the description. I'm wondering if BPAL's ginger note is making my nose think "Lemon!" because the same thing happened with Kumiho. The lemon note (whatever it is) fades quickly on me, though, leaving behind a soft, creamy tea scent with a hint of spice. This is very light on me right at the moment, but it's gorgeous so far. Dry down: Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! Milk, ginger, honey and vanilla with a soft black tea note in the background. For me, this is like Snow White meets Lipton's black tea and I love it! This is a very soft, innocent smelling scent, very creamy and subdued. I really love this one! The bottom line: I'm so glad I got a 5mL of this instead of the imp I was originally planning on getting. White Rabbit is gorgeous and so innocent and understated smelling. It smells like a little girl's tea party in the best possible way.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Lucretia First sniff: This smells very similar to both Capricorn and Malediction to me...it doesn't smell grey really...it's more earthy...brown and dark green. I'm almost positive there's vetiver in this and possibly red patchouli even though the description says nothing of the sort. I like this, but it's not what I was expecting. I assumed Brimstone would be similar to Djinn, but the two couldn't be more different. Wet on skin: If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was Capricorn! I happen to absolutely love Capricorn, so that's a very good thing, just unexpected given the description for this scent. This still smells like red patchouli and vetiver with maybe a hint of cedar or redwood. Dry down: I actually found myself double-checking the label on this because Brimstone smells exactly like Capricorn on me. There's only the slightest hint of ashiness here; mainly Brimstone is very earthy smelling with a dark green tinge that normally means vetiver for me. So unexpected, but I love this! The bottom line: I love this! I do believe I've found a very good replacement for my beloved Capricorn.

Origin: I was gifted with an imp of this by Red_Hot_Mama. First sniff: This is the same sweet aquatic note I pick up in all of Beth's aquatic scents and while aquatics are generally hit or miss with me, I really like Sea of Glass so far. It reminds me of a placid pond in the same way Water of Notre Dame does, but this is more of a crystal clear scent than a pale green one the way Water of Notre Dame was. Crystalline is a good word to describe Sea of Glass...it almost sparkles. Wet on skin: Saltier than in the imp now that it's hit my skin. This reminds me quite a bit of Tears now...this is definitely a sea and not a pond the way it was in the imp. There's also something vaguely soapy about this, but in a good way. I feel pristine wearing this. It's the exact opposite of the dirtiness of the earthy scents I normally wear, but I love it! Dry down: A sweet, salty, simple aquatic on me. There's no frills here and Sea of Glass is beautiful in its simplicity. I'm getting a bit of redness where I applied the oil, but that's typical for me when it comes to aquatics and nothing I can't deal with. The bottom line: This is my second favorite BPAL aquatic scent yet, the first being Water of Notre Dame. I love Sea of Glass. It's simple, subdued and beautiful.

Origin: Monet sent me a shortie of this as a consolation prize in her "Pay It Forward" contest. My impressions: I've pumped myself full of allergy medications just to try this one, so my nose is nice and clear for the first time in maybe a week. Oh my, this is gorgeous! It's not too tart and not too sweet and smells exactly like a freshly halved pink grapefruit dusted with sugar. I've always loved the smell of grapefruit and this more than lives up to my high expectations. There's nothing artificial at all about this, although for some reason it reminds me of Sour Patch grapefruit slices. Beautiful, just beautiful. I'll be requiring more of this one!

I've got an imp of Fire of Love at home that I haven't gotten around to trying yet, so I'll have to move it up the list. :D And on the scent similarity topic: Capricorn, Brimstone and Malediction are all very similar to my nose and they're all gorgeous.