Penance

I know it's been mentioned before, but Snow White smells like Snowcake when it's wet.

Preconceived notions: I was afraid to try this one even though it sounded so gorgeous because some people said they smelled almond in this and almonds make me sick, and I do mean sick, but Beth assured me there's no almonds in this blend at all, so I'm quite eager to try it. I'm expecting something almost marzipan-like with a bit of coconut...maybe creamy, but not cold. First sniff: Mmm, Snow White is very creamy and does remind me of marzipan (which I never really thought smelled like almonds, to tell the truth). This is beautiful and pristine smelling, but not cold at all. It's more cream than white and very smooth smelling, if that makes sense. Wet on skin: Now I smell amonds, which is really strange considering that there's no almond whatsoever in this. It's still very creamy smelling, but definitely almondy in spite of the lack of almond in the oil. It's a soft almond, though, not a strong, nutty almond. Dry down: Hurray, the almond has disappeared! Now I get a soft, creamy coconutty kind of scent that reminds me of a Yankee candle I can't remember the name of. It's not cold, in spite of the name...more soft and creamy, like warm milk. This is a very calming, beautiful scent. I never imagined I'd love this one so much! I think I may have found the perfect scent for my wedding in Snow White. The bottom line: I never dreamed I'd love this one as much as I do. I don't care for the wet almond stage, but once Snow White dries, she's gorgeous: soft and creamy and delicate and feminine without being floral. I love this one!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I've been waffling about this one for a while because of the mention of lemon in the reviews, so I'm hoping it's not so lemony on me. I love ozone and incense, so I'm glad I got a chance to try this without taking a risk. First sniff: Oh, wow, this is really unusual! I can definitely smell that metallic tang that means ozone and the incense notes in this. It's a very unusual combination, but not in a bad way by any stretch of the imagination. Wet on skin: Ozone...it's almost lemony smelling but with a background of incense smoke. I don't like lemon, so I'm hoping this veers away from the Lemon Pledge territory once it's dry. Right now, the lemon smell is becoming quite strong as it sets on my skin. I can still pick up the incense in the background, but the lemon is really overpowering it right now. Dry down: There we go, the lemon has disappeared and now it smells like ozone and incense again, but with an underlying aquatic sweetness that I recognize from several other BPAL aquatic scents. I was worried about this one while it was wet, but now I really like it again. I'm one of the few big fans of true ozone and I love incense/resin scents, so Nyarlathotep is right up my alley, even if it is a combination that I never would have imagined would work. The bottom line: Very unusual. Ozone and incense smoke are the quintessential odd couple that just seem to work together. I love this in the bottle and once it's dry, but I could do without the wet stage.

Origin: Got a 5mL of this from Velvet, since I was a fool and didn't order it while it was still available on the site. My impressions: Oh my God, this is so good! It smells almost exactly like Constant Comment tea, which (in my book) is the sign of a good clove single note. This is so gloriously clovey that I want to cry! Absolutely perfect, and this is coming from a die-hard clove lover.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Very strong vetiver with a background of myrrh. This does seem somehow sluggish and almonst stagnant, but not in smell, in feeling. I'm a bit creeped out by this one, mainly because of the name...most people don't know about it, but I have a bit of a phobia of sloths and this smells like what I think a sloth might smell like and it's giving me the creeps. Wet on skin: The myrrh picks up and almost drowns out the vetiver. I'm not sure if I love this or hate this, to be honest. I keep wavering between being creeped out and liking the way the myrrh and vetiver smell together. I don't dislike vetiver, but I'm pretty freaked out by this blend and the connotations it has for me. Dry down: Myrrh with a background of vetiver. I still can't decide if I want to keep this or not. I'm very ambivalent about this one, constantly going back and forth between liking it and feeling creeped out about wearing it. The bottom line: I have a feeling this one's going to continue to give me the creeps, so I think I'm going to have to get rid of it. I don't see this emotional reaction I'm getting going away, so Sloth is going to have to find a new home.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Oh, wow, I can smell a little bit of everything in this. I smell the white ginger first, then the vanilla and apricot (which I never used to like and now I can't get enough of) and finally the barest breath of jasmine. This isn't quite foody or floral, it's somewhere in between and utterly gorgeous. Wet on skin: Apricot and vanilla are the most prominent, but there's a hint of ginger and jasmine underneath. I recognize the apricot immediately because of my love of March Hare; the others are vaguely familiar smelling but somehow still recognizable. This is feminine without being too girly and I actually really like it! Dry down: Vanilla and ginger are the most prominent, with the apricot and jasmine in the background. I really like this one. It manages to be feminie without being girly, which I greatly appreciate. The bottom line: I'll be keeping this one for when I want to smell a little more feminine. I really love the ginger, apricot and vanilla in this.

First sniff: Oh my God, it's Christmas in a bottle! I adore the smell of pine and this smells just like a fresh cut Christmas tree. There's nothing artificial about this one; this is pure, natural pine trapped in an itty bitty vial. Why didn't I order this?! This is exactly the kind of scent that I love! Wet on skin: As soon as this hits my skin it morphs into a dead on duplicate of the smell of fresh snow and pine needles. There's somethin crisp and watery about it on top of that wonderful pine scent...this is so beautiful, I'm kicking myself for not ordering a few bottles of this. Dry down: The snow scent has disappeared and I'm left with pure pine goodness again. I can't imagine a better Christmas scent than this. It's so me and so beautiful. I can see myself wearing this one all year-round. The bottom line: Gorgeous; utterly gorgeous. An instant favorite. I'm going to need a few bottles of this one, methinks.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Oh, goodie! I've been waffling over ordering this one for a long time because of the hazelnut, but now I get to try it! Thanks, Labbies! First sniff: Mmm, deliciously dark smelling. I can definitely smell the cypress, oakmoss and frankincense in this, all of which I love. I honestly have no clue what oude is, so I can't say if I smell it or not and, so far, there's no hazelnut, which is wonderful as nuts and I don't get along. This is dark and dangerous smelling, like a forest at midnight but with an underlying spicy resinous quality that makes it a little less threatening smelling. This smells so unbelieveably good so far, I hope it smells this good on me. Wet on skin: Very woodsy smelling. The cypress and oakmoss really come through strong when this is wet. There's still a faint spicy resin in the background, but this is mainly the deep forest at midnight. This is so gorgeous! I never dreamed I'd love Danse Macabre this much! Dry down: This reminds me of Loup Garou with frankincense added. It's woodsy and gorgeous, but spicy and resinous at the same time. I love this blend; it's perfect for me! The bottom line: I waffled about this one for a long time, but this is absolutely gorgeous! I'm going to have to get a 10mL of this one immediately.

Origin: Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Vaguely aquatic but sweet smelling, almost like those Sour Patch watermelon candies they sell at the movies. Strange, but true. Wet on skin: Aquatic, like Water of Notre Dame is aquatic...it's tranquil smelling but with a strange sweetness over top of it that's making me think of sugared pink grapefruit now....or more like the Sour Patch grapefruit candies (I know, I know...again with the candy comparisons!). I'm not sure what to make of this, it's very unusual and not headache inducing like most aquatic scents are for me. Dry down: No real change from when it was wet...it's reminding me of something I can't quite put my finger on. It's almost like sugar water strangely enough, which is totally unexpected and not at all unpleasant. I'm just thrown by how light and sweet this is...I would have expected something dark and unnerving, not light and almot comforting, but then my reactions to oils have little or nothing to do with the descriptions most of the time, so maybe it's not totally surprising. The bottom line: Unexpectedly sweet and almost summery smelling. I don't know what's in it, but it reminds me of eating watermelon by a lake. H.P. Lovecraft is spinning in his grave!

Origin: Got an imp of this from Kimmer. Preconceived notions: I honestly didn't know what to expect from this. I wanted to try it purely out of curiosity, to be honest. First sniff: Dandelion and beer, but not an unpleasant stale beer, more fresh and foamy. I don't drink beer because I can't stand the smell, but I really, genuinely like this! I also get the faintest whiff of tobacco in hte background, but somehow this manages to be a fresh, almost paradoxically clean scent, not the dirty spilled beer and stale cigarettes scent I associate with bars and truckstops. This reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on what it is...it's not an unpleasant memory at all, so it can't be a bar I'm remembering - nothing good has ever happened to me in a bar - maybe it's a person I'm remembering...although I don't know who it could be. Wet on skin: Mainly dandelion on me with a hint of hemp and beer in the background. I think this reminds me of going to the county fair when I was little...it seems the most likely explanation for the happy feeling I get when I smell this. This is a fresh, country kind of scent to my nose and I really like it, which is somewhat surprising as I never expected to love this...maybe like it, but not love it. Dry down: I can smell the hemp and tobacco more now but the dandelion and beer are still prominent. I'm almost positive it's the county fair this is reminding me of now and I really like the association. Some of my happiest memories come from spending summer days at the fair. The bottom line: I tried this out of pure curiosity, but I'm officially in love with this scent. Not because of the notes in it (although I love tobacco), but because of the memories it dredges up.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Hmm, this is pretty masculine smelling. Like Vicomte de Valmont, it reminds me of generic men's cologne for some reason. I get a bit of thyme and lavender, but the rest is lost in the generigc cologne smell. It's not a bad smell, just not what I want in a BPAL oil. Wet on skin: In spite of the generic cologne vibe, I may give this to the boy because I'm trying to lure him into loving BPAL and this would be a (it kills me to say this about Beth's creations) intermediate kind of scent between what I consider true BPAL and generic cologne. It smells a little darker now and less citrusy/herbal. I can smell the moss in the far background and the bergamot, lavender and thyme in the foreground. It's a nice, generic masculine kind of smell although I'm sure a woman could easily pull this off. Dry down: Tonka bean, maybe? I smell something vaguely creamy smelling here in addition to the notes I smelled when it was wet. There's also a hint of patchouli now, so my boy may not like it. He hates smelling like a "stinky hippie," even in small amounts. The bottom line: Not bad. A little generic, but not bad. I don't think I'll be keeping it, though, since it's not my kind of scent and the boy wouldn't like it. Off to swaps with it!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Lavender, violet and a hint of sandalwood. It's a very quiet, soft scent that reminds me of wrapping myself up in the sheer curtains on our windows when I was little. I'm not sure if it's me but it's a very understated and soft scent, which is a good thing in my book. I need a little peace and softness now and then. Wet on skin: Mmm, sandalwood! I can also smell lavender almost equally and there's a hint of violet in the background. Other than the sandalwood and lilac in this, the notes in Veil aren't really my thing (at all), but this is surprisingly likeable. Dry down: I can smell the sandalwood, lavender, violet and orris in this now and the effect wavers between dry and slightly musty and floral and vaguely matronly smelling. It's not a bad smell, I think it's just not me. The bottom line: I'm not really a floral person, so this isn't quite up my alley, even with the sandalwood in it. This is going to have to go up for swaps since I can't see myself wearing it more than once in a great while.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: This smells like flowers to me. Wildflowers, not flower shop flowers. I'm horribly at picking out individual floral notes, so I won't even deign to try on this one apart from saying it smells like wildflowers in full bloom with a hint of something almost fruity in the background. Wet on skin: Floral, but not the kind of floral I usually despise. This isn't overpowering or contrived smelling like most flower shop type floral scents are to me. This is random bursts of color and scent against a background of green. It's still not my kind of scent, but for once it's not because the floral notes are giving me a headache, but rather because I prefer darker, heavier scents. Dry down: This reminds me somewhat of Queen Mab, which must be the black orchid coming through. It's a very distinct, almost fruity kind of smell that's not quite my cup of tea, but quite nice all the same. This is a bright, random wildflower kind of floral scent, not a carefully arranged flower shop kind of scent and while neither one really appeals to me, I prefer the randomness of wildflowers to the careful combinations of a flower shop. The bottom line: Sadly, flowers aren't my thing, although, as flowers go, this is a lovely scent. This one's going to have to be swapped, though, because it's just not me.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: Wow, that's really unusual. I get some sort of spicy smelling varnished wood from this on first sniff. My best guess is that it's the rosewood I'm smelling here. I don't get any florals apart from maybe the barest hint of tea rose. This smells more like a freshly dusted Victorian parlor than it does flowers, which is surprising to me. Wet on skin: Wood of some sort...it smells almst like redwood. Maybe it's the oak...I'm not really sure. It doesn't smell like a tree, more like varnished furniture. There's also the faintest hint of floral notes starting to peek out. This actually reminds me very strongly of the Victorian mansion where we're having our wedding reception. I was expecting something more floral out of this, but I'm getting wood furniture most strongly, which is fine by me. Dry down: Now the flowers are coming out. I get a hint of lilac and a lot of rose. It's not an unpleasant, headache-inducing floral, but I'm not sure if it's me or not. I may have to give this one another couple tries before I decide for sure. The bottom line: This definitely captures the spirit of the Victorian era, no doubt about it. I'm not sure yet if Ouija is for me or not, though. I'm going to have to give it another couple tries before I decide, I think.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: Myrrh on the first sniff, then the musk, attar of rose and ylang-ylang. The rose is very powdery to my nose in that way that always seems to ruin rose scents for me, but the myrrh and musk are nice. Wet on skin: This is really confusing smelling...it's spicy and resiny but musky and powdery at the same time. Phantom also appears to be making me cough for some reason...I'm thinking it's the rose. I don't dislike this, but it's just not quite me. It's the rose that throws me off, I think. I've never been fond of the smell of roses. Dry down: Myrrh, musk and a background of baby powder that the rose is responsible for. Something about this scent is making me cough like crazy, so I guess it's a good thing it's not really me. The bottom line: This definitely isn't me because of the rose and on top of that I appear to be allergic to it, so it's off to swaps with Phantom.

Got this one as lagniappe from the Lab in my last order. Preconceived notions: Let me start off by saying that, as a rule, I hate floral perfumes with a passion. They give me headaches and make me think of old ladies and just generally don't work fo me, so just because I don't like them, it doesn't mean they're bad scents, just that they're definitely not for me. I say this because I have a feeling Queen Gertrude and I are not going to get along. At all. First sniff: Flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. For me, this is a bad thing, but I'm sure for someone else it would be wonderful. I'm not good at naming floral notes (to me, they're all just "flowers") but I can smell, quite distinctly, violet and wisteria in this right out of the vial. It's heady and powdery and, above all, floral. Wet on skin: This smells like violet pastilles on a bed of flower petals. This, to me, is what flower shops smell like and, unfortunately, I can't tolerate too many floral notes in one place. Floral notes = instant headache for me. Dry down: The violet seems to be gone and now it's all heady, showy florals practically screaming for attention and it's making my head ache. This is the complete antithesis of what works for me in a perfume, unfortunately. I gave it a shot because it was three and I believe in giving everything a try unless I know it'll make me sick (i.e. anything with almonds in it), but it's definitely not for me. The bottom line: A floral lover would probably love this, but I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a floral lover. Queen Gertrude is going to have to find another home.

Got this as part of the lagniappe from my last order received from the Lab. First sniff: Wow, this is nothing like what I imagined it would be like, based on the description. I can smell a little bit of all the notes in this, which is a bit surprising since there's usually one or two that don't quite stand out to my nose. This blend is simultaneously floral, musky and citrusy and would probably smell fantastic on a guy. Wet on skin: Very light but also very pleasant. This smells like men's cologne in such a good way, not the way Vicomte de Valmont smelled like generic men's cologne, more in a comforting way that I suspect means it reminds me of someone I can't remember by anything other than smell...perhaps my grandfather who died when I was very young. The musk and lime are prominent, but the other notes are peeking out in the background. This is really nice...I wouldn't say it's sexy, at least not to me...it's just...comforting. Dry down: Mainly musk, citrus and lilac now. This is a very comforting male smell for me, which is surprising considering that I had pegged Villain as the oil most likely to intensely disagree with me from this order. I'm glad I gave it a shot instead of passing on it immediately. I don't think my boy will be wearing this one; it seems more like the kind of scent I would put on before bed when I need an olfactory security blanket. The bottom line: A surprise winner, and I do mean surprise. I never expectedto be able to tolerate this one, let alone love it.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Wow, this is surprising...I expected more red wine than this. I'm getting cemetery loam with a hint of red wine, which is just fine, but not at all what I was expecting. This smells the way I imagined Zombi would smell with the addition of red wine. I really like this, but I can see a lot of other people not being very happy when I wear it. Wet on skin: The wine picks up a little as soon as it hits my skin and I get a faint hint of herbs along with the loamy scent from in the imp. I love loamy smells and red wine, so this is very appealing to me although I can tell right away that my mom hates it. Of course, she hated Zombi, too, and I loved it, so I didn't expect much different. Dry down: Nosferatu has settled down into a soft wine and cemetery loam scent that I find very appealing. It's not sour the way a lot of wine scents are on me, more rich and red and deep. Unfortunately, it fades very quickly on me, but I don't mind having to reapply every couple of hours. The bottom line: Nosferatu really lives up to the name. It's a very gothic sort of scent, dark and brooding and mysterious, and one I'm sure wouldn't appeal to everyone, but for me it's a winner.

Yes, I have as a matter of fact, and I love it. To me, it's like a mix of Loup Garou and Black Forest.

I had the same impression you did with my first order, but I've found with each order I've begun noticing the little differences between even the most similar scents. That being said, I'd put my money on it being a combination of skin chemistry, an untrained nose and the scents mingling from being in close proximity. That's just my (admittedly unscientific) theory, though, so of course I could be wrong.

I got an imp of this as a gift from Finny. First sniff: Whoa, this smells like March Hare made with patchouli instead of clove. I smell apricot most prominently if I inhale deeply, but I can pick up a hint of earthy patchouli in the background if I inhale very lightly. I was a bit worried about this one because of the mixed reviews, but this is actually even better than I could have hoped for. My only wish is that the patchouli will come out more once it's on my skin. Wet on skin: A little bit more earthy, but still mainly apricot. It reminds me of sitting under my next-door neighbor's peach trees when I was little, eating the fruit fresh off the tree and digging in the dirt. It reminds me of his orchard and of growing. This is a very homey kind of scent for me and one I really like. Dry down: About even amounts of patchouli and apricot now. It manages to be both earthy and rich and juicy and fruity at the same time and I love the effect it creates. It's not overpoweringly earthy or musty and it's not overpoweringly fruity, either. It does seem to fade pretty quickly on me, but I don't mind having to reapply it every few hours. The bottom line: March Hare's farmer cousin. Depraved digs in the dirt and plants and picks the apricots and March Hare bakes those apricots into tarts. I love this one! ----------------------------------------- ETA: I recently received another imp of Depraved and it's definitely different than the one I reviewed initially, so I feel like I ought to update my review to include my impressions of this one, too. I'm not sure if it's a batch variation thing, an aging thing (I don't know how old either of my imps are/were at the time of testing) or something else entirely, but the different is noticeable. First sniff: Lots of black patchouli! I absolutely adore patchouli, especially the black variety, and this has it in spades. I smell very little apricot here. In fact, it's so faint that I'm not sure I would have picked it out without knowing it was in here. It just lends a soft, subtle sweetness to the scent rather than making it fruity. Wet on skin: I get a little bit more apricot once Depraved hits my skin, but it's still a predominately patchouli scent. This is the rich, deep, earthy patchouli that I love and so many other people hate. It smells almost like musty soil and it's incredible. At this point, it's slightly sweeter than in the imp, but not by much. Dry down: Patchouli heaven! I could seriously cry right now, because I've been kicking myself for being an idiot and not getting a bottle of the Lab's black patchouli single note when I had the chance and this smells very, very similar to the single note! There's so little apricot here that it's barely registering and I'm positive that I'm only picking it out because I knew in advance that it was in here. The bottom line: This is the polar opposite of the first time I tried Depraved. This isn't March Hare made with patchouli instead of cloves. It's patchouli. Dirty, musty, heavenly patchouli. This is March Hare's hippie cousin this time around. And that cousin has given up apricot farming completely in favor of dousing himself in patchouli oil and wearing organic hemp overalls. I think I might be in love with him. I'm definitely going to be ordering at least two bottles of Depraved in my next order and hoping and praying that it's the same scent that's in the imp I've been wearing while writing this review. If I knew for sure that it was going to be the same, I'd stockpile because this Depraved soothes a lot of the sting of missing out on the single note.

Got an imp of this from Mrs.Black. First sniff: Lavender is the most promiment note here, but I can also smell a faint hint of sandalwood in the background. I've found lavender tends to really stand out to my nose, so it may note really be as overpowering as it smells to me. Wet on skin: Mmm, now I can smell something other than lavender. The sandalwood, tobacco and nag champa are coming out now, softening the almost astringent smell of the lavender. I was worried about the lavender being overpowering, but this is actually really nice. Dry down: The lavender had receded into the background and I get sandalwood, tobacco, nag champa and an almost spicy resin sent that must be the labdanum. This isn't anywhere near as dark as I imagined but, at hte same time, I really like it. This particular blend lasts a long time, too...more than 14 hours later I can still smell it and it smells even more wonderufl now than it did when it had initially dried. The longer it's on, the more the lavender disappears and the more I like it. The bottom line: While I can't say that I love the lavender in this (or any blend, fo that matter), Gaueko dries down into a lovely spicy/smoky resin and tobacco scent that really appeals to me. This is a perfect example of why I should never judge a scent by the way it smells in the vial.

Got a 5mL of this beauty from lorajc. First sniff: Oh my God, this is so different than what I was expecting and in such a good way! I associate the voodoo blends (in general) with a sort of herbal smell, but Block Buster is the absolute antithesis to herbal. It's...comforting smelling, somehow. To me, Block Buster smells exactly like the cinnamon flavored organic honey straws I used to eat when I was little. They were basically just plastic straws filled with flavored honey and crimped at both ends and Block Buster is instant, comforting nostaliga for me. It's rich and golden and has that familiar honey smell to it with a soft background of cinnamon. Real cinnamon, not cinnamon red hots. I'm in desperate need of some flexibility right now with thesis revisions and finals looming large, so hopefully Block Buster will help me loosen up a little. If not, I'll still smell gorgeous, which is almost as good. Wet on skin: More cinnamon than honey now, but definitely a variation on the same scent combination. It's got a nice cozy spice to it and sort of sweet honey richness underneath. I don't know if this is making me more open to change, but it's certainly very calming. Dry down: Back to the cinnamon flavored honey it was in the vial and it's gorgeous. I haven't started on my revisions and studying yet, but I do feel more able to tackle the whole motherload of work I have ahead of me, which is wonderful in and of itself. I really love this one, and I'm so glad I went straight for the 5mL instead of trying an imp first; I can see myself wearing this one all the time. The bottom line: Gorgeous and very comforting. I feel like I can face the world wearing this one and maybe even get some work done without having my brain explode.

Whoo! All sorts of people know where I live...I think I might be in trouble here...you guys are all going to show up at my door one day with a board with a nail in it...of course, the board will be scented with Baron Samedi, too, just to make it worse for me, what with the almonds and all.

Cedar! I wish the Old Morocco I've smelled was cedary, the ones I've sniffed have been pure carnation and spice.