Penance

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Dragon's blood and vetiver...this is a really odd combination for my nose and I'm not sure I like it. I love dragon's blood and I like vetiver, but I'm not sure I like them together. The vetiver is a little strong for my tastes right at the moment, so I'm hoping it dies down once this is on. Wet on skin: Dragon's blood and spice (cinnamon?) with a background of vetiver. Right at the moment, I don't particularly like this combination, there's something about the vetiver - too strong, I suppose - that's turning my stomach. It may just be that I'm coming down with something and vetiver is just triggering it, but I can't see myself wearing this if I have to wait it out every time. Dry down: Dragon's blood and cinnamon red hots with vetiver in the background. The vetiver has softened, but not nearly enough for me to like this right now. I seem to be developing an intolerance for it and, while I never used to mind it, it's not something I can really wear in anything but small amounts right now, so Serpent's Kiss doesn't appear to be up my alley. I love the dragon's blood and spiced, but the vetiver isn't for me. At least not right now at any rate. The bottom line: Serpent's Kiss is another unfortunate victim of my burgeoning intolerance for vetiver in anything but small doses. This one's going to have to find a new home.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Musk and vetiver...I don't smell any leather yet, which is a bit of a disappointment as I'm just now learning that I adore the smell of leather in a perfume. I've been looking forward to trying Iago, though, so I'm glad that the Lab chose to gift me with this one! Wet on skin: Very musky with a background of vetiver. I don't dislike vetiver at all, but lately I can only tolerate it in small doses, so I'm starting to worry that Iago might be a little too strong on the vetiver for me to be able to wear it...or for my boy to be able to wear it for that matter. I'm beginning to get the leather smell, but this mainly reminds me of Satyr with vetiver added at this stage. Dry down: Strong musk with a bit of leather. I think this one might be too musky for me and my boy. I don't mind musk at all as long as it's not overpowering, but too much invariably makes me think of the smell of unwashed dogs. It doesn't smell like that, but it makes me think of that, which is pretty unfortunate since I really like musk in small amounts. The bottom line: Too musky for me, unfortunately. I'm going to have to look elsewhere for the perfect leather scent for my boy. Off to swaps with it!

You're welcome! I hope you find something you like! I know I almost cried when I found Scarecrow, it was so perfect for me. It was everything I missed about growing up in the country and then some.

Ooh, yes, Baron Samedi was a stubborn little bugger, you can be sure of that. I could smell it for days afterward in spite of several hot showers and rubbing alcohol. And I only tried a tiny bit.

Frost Moon reminds me of Blue Moon + mint. ETA: I know they're both LE's, but Frost Moon is newer and probably easier to get right about now.

I've been meaning to review this one for ages and it kept slipping my mind, but there's no time like the present, eh? Origin: 1/3 oz from the Lab, 1 dram from supervillainess and imps from NorthernMinx and Fairywingmaker. First sniff: The cognac is extremely strong right out of the bottle. It has a very distinctive cheryish brandy kind of smell to it that I'm sure must be what everyone is smelling when they say they get cherries from F54. I can just barely smell a bit of musk and clove under the cognac and, all together, they make one very dark, sexy, sophisticated, expensive smelling perfume. I feel elegant just smelling this. The strange thing is that I initially had no interest at all in trying this one because of the rose and the price involved in trying something that might not work, but I got an imp from NorthernMinx and it as love at first sniff and I got lucky enough to snag the last bottle the Lab had. Wet on skin: Cognac is still the predominant note here, but the slight cherry edge to it is disappearing almost immediately and letting through the tobacco flower and musk. This, to me, smells like a high-end nightclub where a woman in black is sitting in a dark corner, sipping brandy and smoking French cigarettes with red-smudged lips. This is so grown-up smelling and sophisticated that it just floors me. This is totally unlike any other scent I've ever worn. Dry down: This is cognac with a sprinkling of tobacco and clove over a bed of deep black rose petals. Everything about this blend screams debauched sophistication in the best possible way. I feel elegant but not untouchable in this, like I could start the evening perfectly coiffed and made up and end the night with my hair and clothes in disarray with black-ringed eyes and smell the part from start to finish and that is absolutely amazing to me. This is so gorgeous on so many levels. F54 mellows as it dries, getting deeper and richer, like the cognac it smells of and does it absolutely beautifully. The bottom line: F54 manages to be both sophisticated and debased, elegant but not untouchable, at the same time. Everything about it screams debauched sophistication and, strangely enough, makes me feel beautiful in a way that something more untouchable and pristine couldn't. This is sophistication that's been brought to its knees and made even more beautiful through its imperfection. It feels real in a way that so many of my other sophisticated scents don't and even a tiny bit lasts for ages. A masterpiece and one of my most well-loved BPAL scents.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I actually ordered an imp of Whip about a week before I got an imp of it in my latest order from the Lab. I love leather scents, so I was pretty curious about this one even though I don't really care for rose. I'm hoping the leather in this is strong and the rose is reasonably soft. First sniff: Wow, that's rose alright. This smells almost identical to (Old) London right out of the imp...almost pure rose, but not the powdery variety, the kind that smells like a fresh-cut rosey rose if that makes any sense at all. I don't mind this sort of rose as much as the powdery variety, so this isn't too bad, although I'd prefer the lather to be much stronger. Wet on skin: The rose is still predominant, but I'm starting to smell the leather now, hiding in the background. I'm sure it's just hte name of this one combining with the rose scent, but I can't help but think of those beautiful but not terribly functional rosebud floggers when I smell this. It's an odd combination of sweetly feminine and no-nonsense aggression that I like a lot in principle, although I'm not sure I can tolerate this since the rose in this is so strong. Dry down: The leather is coming out a little more now although it's still not as strong as I'd like. I'm actually starting to really like this. I definitely wouldn't wear this every day or even very often, but this could be a good scent for those rare moments when I indulge my inner Dominatrix. The bottom line: Although the rose in this is much stronger than I'd like ideally and the leather isn't near strong enough for my tastes, I'll be keeping this one for special occasions and may try to layer it with De Sade to amp up the leather note.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: This is not going to work for me, no matter how I may wish it would. It's got amber, lavender and carnation, but I'll try it because it's new and I'm curious. First sniff: Amber is the first thing that jumps out at me, which is a bad sign since amber hates me, as much as I may love it in the bottle. This reminds me a lot of Xiuhtecuhtli, somewhat. I also get a bit of carnation and some moss in the background. I'd prefer if this were woodsier and darker, but it's really surprisingly light. Wet on skin: Amber and lavender are most prominent. I don't smell the carnation, which is good, but I also don't smell the moss which makes me sad since I love a good mossy scent. This still reminds me of Xiuhtecuhtli...maybe "Xiuhtecuhtli For Men," although it's not an overtly masculine scent, either. Dry down: I smell amber and carnation with a hint of moss. It's spicy and slightly sweet/resiny but with an undertone of green. I can definitely see a classy gentlemen-type wearing this one. It's sophisticated smelling and would probably work equally well on a woman as well as a man. The bottom line: I seem to have avoided both smelling like sour milk from the amber and carnation-induced nausea, but I just don't care for this scent terribly much. I really prefer something darker than this, unfortunately.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Wow, this is complex smelling...it's spicy and fruity and floral and vaguely resiny all at once. I can definitely smell the dragon's blood, geranium and mandarin in this and maybe a hint of the amber. This one's really hard to pin down; I don't normally have anywhere near this much trouble picking out individual notes. Wet on skin: Dragon's Blood is the first thing I smell in this, but the amber is lurking under the surface, making this smell a little like baby powder. There's also a vague fruitiness that I can't pin down. It could be the dragon's blood I'm smelling again or it could be the mandarin or the black currant, I honestly can't tell for some reason. Dry down: The amber has turned this into dragon's blood scented baby powder, which I'm sure would be lovely on, say, a baby, but on me it's a no-go. I hate smelling like a baby's butt and thanks to my wonky body chemistry, it looks like that's what Rage is going to do to me. The bottom line: My evil skin chemistry has struck again, turning Rage into dragon's blood scented baby powder. Off to swaps with ye!

Dia De Los Muertos :: Kali I don't think Old Dublin is similar to either Mistletoe or Skadi, personally. I think those two are pretty unique among BPAL, unfortunately. That's just my opinion, though.

Scarecrow is a very nice freshly harvested field scent in my opinion. I wouldn't say it was like fresh mown grass, but it's definitely a field scent. It reminds me of the country and makes me horribly homesick. Or Val Sans Retour (an up-and-coming) is grassy with some citrus. Hope that helps somewhat!

You know, this is helpful information. After the Baron Samedi Incident (yes, it's capitalized because it was an important - if unpleasant - historical event ), I really needed to know how to get an oil off quick and alcohol just wasn't cutting it. I'm going to have to try the lemon juice and salt method next time I need to rid myself of am oil.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Gemini Noir because I've been having some very bizarre dreams lately and they're starting to really get on my nerves. First sniff: Lavender is really the only thing I smell immediately in this, but it's softer than Somnus (which also smells like pure lavender to me) and less astringent. There's something almost soft or maybe even sweet in the background of this, but I can't pin it down. This one's so well-blended that I can't say anything other than that it smells like soft lavender without the harsh herbal edge it normally has. Wet on skin: Lavender with something else I can't put my finger on in the background. It smells familiar, but the lavender keeps getting in the way when I try to pin it down. I don't particularly like the smell of lavender, so this isn't quite my cup of tea, but if it works that's what matters. I'm not sure what the other note is in here, but as long as it's not one of a handful of "can't/won't wear at all" notes like amber, carnation, almond or anise/fennel, I don't particularly care what it smells like as long as it helps me sleep without the crazy dreams I've been having lately. Dry down: I think I jinxed myself mentioning anise and fennel because one of those is definitely hiding in Baku under the lavender. I really can't stand the smell of anise at all so I'm afraid this one isn't going to get to be sleep-tested because of the anise or fennel or whatever is in this one. The bottom line: I don't know if this one works because it has one of the handful of totally unacceptable notes in it that I won't or can't wear: anise/fennel. This is going to have to find a new home with someone who can put it to good use.

Origin: I didn't order this (foolish me) because I thought it sounded too similar to Ice Queen which I had bought 2 bottles of, so I got a 5mL of this from Sigh. First sniff: Why did I have to order Ice Queen instead of Skadi?! WHY?! This is so unbelieveably gorgeous. I smell pine right out of the bottle, but, unlike Mistletoe, it's mixed with spicy winter berries. I don't normally like berry scents, but...how to describe this...it's an unberry-like berry scent. The pine in this balances it out and I swear, there's something spicy in here. This is Christmas in a bottle, but in a different way than Mistletoe is. This one's like sitting around the family Christmas tree with a mug of mulled cider while Mistletoe is like traipsing through the snow looking for the perfect tree. Skadi is warm and comoforting where Mistletoe is invigorating and clean. Wet on skin: The berries are the most prominent note now, drowning out the pine needle. There's something in this that's reacting to my skin in the same way that Samhain did when it was wet, walking the line between beauty and cleaning fluid, although it may very well be that my hormones are making this go wonky since it is that time of the month. I'm sure it'll go away though because the first time I tested this, it didn't do this. Dry down: Just as I figured, the cleaning fluid stage has passed and now I'm left with gorgeous winter berries and crisp pine needle and a hint of something that (I have no idea how Beth does it) smells exactly like slushy snow. This is so beautiful I can't even begin to descibe it. I really don't like berries as perfume, but this isn't the sweet kind of berry I'm used to, it's more spicy and slightly tart and it perfectly compliments the pine needle in this. I think this may very well be my favorite of all the Yule LE's! The bottom line: Pure Christmas warmth and happiness in a bottle. I love everything about this scent and I'm definitely regretting not getting a few bottles of this when I had the chance. This is perfect!

Just thought I'd throw in another similarity: Phantasm and Embalming Fluid could be long lost twins. Phantasm is like Embalming Fluid + a bit of jasmine on me.

Origin: Ladniappe from the Lab! First sniff: This reminds me a lot of Embalming Fluid only slightly less citrusy. I definitely smell the green tea and lemon verbena in this, but I don't get much, if any, florals from this right out of the imp. I can tell right now that this isn't going to be my kind of scent, but I'll give it a shot anyway, for the sake of reviewing. Wet on skin: No real change from in the imp; it's still lemon and green tea only the lemon has picked up quite strongly now. Now it smells damn near identical to Embalming Fluid (which I also don't like, by the way). I get maybe the faintest hint of jasmine from this now that it's on me, too. It's very clean smelling and reminds me of spring...and it ironically compliments the citrus green shirt I wore today almost to the letter. Dry down: Green tea, strong lemon and a faint background of jasmine. This is definitely not me (at all), but it's certainly not unpleasant, either. I just prefer a much heavier, darker scent to Phantasm's springtime freshness. The bottom line: Not for me by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely a nice clean, fresh scent that would probably be beautiful on someone else.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: Lavender, jasmine and spice jump out at me immediately, followed by musk and rose. I'm really not sure if I love this scent or hate it right at the moment; it could go either way quite easily since the spices and musk appeal to me while the lavender and rose are among the notes I don't generally care for. Wet on skin: Lavender is the strongest note now, but it's not as astringent as it normally is - the spice and musk appear to be softening it quite a bit. I was really worried about the lavender in this, but if it stays like this, I don't mind it at all. This wavers between being herbal, floral and spicy/musky and I'm still not sure whether I like this or not. Dry down: The lavender has returned in full force, along with hte rose and I don't particularly like the result. The two parts I do like - the musk and the spices - have receded so far into the background that I barely smell them at all anymore. I really don't think this is me, as much as I love spice and musk together. The bottom line: Nice but definitely not me. I don't generally do florals, especially lavender, so Sophia isn't quite up my alley. I think she's going to have to find a new home.

Origin: I got an imp of this from SilverAngel. Preconceived notions: I honestly have no idea why I have such a pressing desire to try this one. I don't like egg nog. At all. I don't like the smell of it or the taste of it...to put it bluntly, I hate egg nog and all that it stands for! That being said, the description sounded so amazingly good that I just had to try this one in spite of my hatred for its namesake, so I'm hoping it smells like the description and not like the drink. First sniff: This really does smell like egg nog, but not the cheap kind, the homemade kind, and even though I don't like the way egg nog tastes or smells normally, this smells gorgeous. I smell cream and nutmeg and brandy right out of the imp...it's gorgeous and creamy and altogether edible. Wet on skin: The brandy really takes over once this hits my skin, turning Egg Nog very boozy and less creamy. This doesn't smell like store-bought egg nog, this is homemade egg nog with a heavy dose of brandy. Dry down: Cream and nutmeg with a background of brandy. This is a nice, heavy, foody scent in a way that normally doesn't appeal to me but that, right now, is screaming my name. I don't normally wear this kind of scent, but I can definitely see myself wearing this one. A lot. The bottom line: This really exceeded my expectations. It's lovely and creamy and boozy and spicy all at the same time. I really like this one quite a bit.

Sarada, I have the same thing going on! I like my generic BPAL scented gloves, they're kind of fun. I can wear them and pretend I'm working for Beth.

Loup Garou is piney but has a strong eucalyptus note to it, but it's about the closest you're likely to get, methinks. Mistletoe is pretty unique as far as I can tell. I've never found another BPAL oil that smells quite like it, other than say Skadi which smells like pine, berries and spice.

Preconceived notions: Like VorpalBunny, I thought Skadi and Ice Queen sounded very similar, but I only ended up buying Ice Queen (huge mistake, as I love Skadi with a passion). Since then I've tried Skadi and adore it, so I'm hoping Ice Queen lives up to the hype created by her sister and works as beautifully on me. First sniff: Mmm, I smell the spruce first, but it's softened and tempered by something almost minty smelling and the barest hint of something aquatic and slightly fruity and sweet. There is a certain resemblance between Skadi and Ice Queen...Ice Queen is like Skadi's younger, more innocent sister. She's not quite as strong or intense as Skadi is, but she's equally beautiful in her own way. Wet on skin: Musky and almost aquatically sweet. This is a cold smelling scent, but not in the peppermint and citrus way I'm used to. There's something here that's reminding me of anotehr BPAL scent, too, but I can't place it...I think it's the musk I'm recognizing, although I can't remember which scent it's reminding me of. I get the vague feeling it was one I didn't care for, but I don't know what it was. I'm thinking this is going to end up not being me...there's just something about this blend that doesn't feel right on me. I really prefer Skadi to her little sister at this point in time. Dry down: The spruce has disappeared and so has the musk and I'm left with something that reminds me quite a bit of R'Lyeh. It's aquatic and sweet smelling at the same time and very unusual. Ice Queen isn't bad, but I don't think she's me, to tell the truth. I prefer something a little more woodsy smelling rather than a sweet/aquatic scent. The bottom line: I like Ice Queen enough to keep one bottle of it for now, but not enough to keep both, so one is going to have to go up for swap...hopefully I can get more Mistletoe or Skadi with it.

Preconceived notions: This is the Yule LE I was most eagerly anticipating because I adore the smell of pipe tobacco and this sounded so absolutely perfect, but I'm a bit worried now based on the reviews. Sweet scents really aren't my thing, so I'm hoping Hearth turns into the pipe tobacco and leather scent I'm craving and not into cherry syrup. First sniff: Wow, that is cherry sweet! I expected this to bear at least a passing resemblance to the new formulation of Hellfire based on the description, but the two couldn't be more different and still share some common ingredients. This really does smell like cherry pipe tobacco inspite of the almost syrup-like sweetness of the cherry note. I find that the further away my nose is from the bottle, the more I smell the tobacco and the less I smell the cherry, which is a good sign. Wet on skin: This is definitely cherry, not cherry wood - it smells like the inside of a chocolate covered cherry where all the gooey syrup is, but there's also tobacco under here and a faint hint of worn leather. It's not nearly as candy sweet as I'd feared, although it's far sweeter than I'd hoped for. I have a feeling the cherry note is going to die down as it dries, though, because it already appears to be mellowing. Dry down: As predicted, the cherry is mellowing nicely, leaving a gorgeous cherry tobacco scent that's very comforting to me. The longer this sets on my skin, the more I can smell the pipe tobacco and leather instead of just cherry syrup. It appears my treacherous body chemistry has pulled a fast one on me for once, turning a potentially "definitely not me" scent into something absolutely gorgeous! This is what I expected from Hearth. I'm very happy with the way this one turned out! The bottom line: Hearth was too cherry sweet for me in the bottle and wet on my skin, but once it dried it smelled exactly like I'd imagined it would. Also, this one isn't as aggressively masculine as Hellfire was, which is wonderful because I don't always want something that screams testosterone. I love this one (at least on me)! ETA: Since I wrote this, I've decided I love Hearth even more than I said in my review. Now it seems the cherry syrup smell dissipates much quicker and I'm left with the most delcious, deep, rich cherry pipe tobacco scent. I wear this to bed and it puts me right to sleep! It's so comforting and peaceful smelling and absolutley wonderful. I've got 4 bottles and 2 imps now and I'm in heaven.

Perversion and Tintagel are both nice sweet leather scents. I, personally, love a good masculine leather scent, but both Perversion and Tintagel are nice. Whip is also a feminine leather scent, but in a more floral way.

First sniff: I smell mint first and foremost as soon as I open the bottle...it's a soft mint, more like butter mints than Altoids, if that makes sense. I also get a bit of eucalyptus and some strong aquatic notes in the background. This is very wintery smelling, but not in a pine needle or Christmas cookie kind of way. Wet on skin: Very light...it's minty and aquatic at the same time, which is an unusual combination for my nose and one I'm not sure I really care for. There's also a bit of lotus here that's worrying me as lotus has a nasty habit of going all wonky on my skin. It's not a bad scent by any stretch of the imagination, I'm just not sure it's going to end up being me. I may be wrong, though...it wouldn't be the first time something had ended up working after I thought it was going to be a failure. Dry down: Frost Moon is nice and clean...minty and aquatic at the same time, like a frozen pond. I was worried about this one even before I ordered it, but I had to try it anyway, just in case, and I'm glad I did because now that it's dry, it's working beautifully for me. The bottom line: This smells lovely! I was really quite worried about this one since it has lotus in it and lotus tends to give me headaches and smell funky on my skin and aquatics seem to be disagreeing with me lately, but it appears my fears were unfounded. Frost Moon is a beauty!

A melancholy, deep scent, poignant and brimming with nostalgia. The perfume of sugared plums over a breeze of winter flowers. First sniff: I couldn't figure out what this reminded me of apart from saying it was sweet and fruity and almost cloying, so I asked my fiance and he said, "Smells like fruit punch." Well, to quote Mugatu in Zoolander, "He's absolutely right, you know!" Who would have seen that one coming? I was expecting something more plummy with a sugary sweetness overlying it, but it's pure fruit punch to my nose...very odd. Wet on skin: Very sweet and almost artificial smelling in a way that reminds me of Hawaiian Punch...I can't escape the fruit punch vibe in this, no matter how hard I try. This is a very lighthearted smell to me and quite innocent smelling, but it's really not me by any stretch of the imagination. I'm glad I got a chance to try this, but I don't see it turning into anything that's going to be up my alley. Dry down: It smells almost like sweet jelly now...but with that fruit punch undertone that's been there since the beginning. This is definitely sweet...sugar plums aren't quite what come to mind when I smell it, though. I don't particularly care for super sweet scents, so maybe that's why this one isn't speaking to me. The bottom line: This just isn't working for me. I don't care for sweet, fruity scents and this has too much of a fruit punch vibe for me to be able to wear it. I'm going to be swapping this one.